26 August 2007

It was a good morning for the Norwich Union Great Britain & Northern Ireland team on day 2 of the IAAF World Championships as six athletes progressed through their respective first rounds of the women’s 100m and women’s 400m.  Although there was disappointment for Andrew Lemoncello as he failed to progress in the men’s 3000m steeplechase.

Men’s 3000m steeplechase

Andrew Lemoncello (Fife AC) was eliminated in the third heat of the steeplechase coming 12th in 8:58.93. In mid morning temperatures of 34C Lemoncello struggled with the pace and ran well outside his personal best of 8:23.74, set earlier this year.

Lemoncello said: “That was just a horrible, horrible experience. The last two world champs have not gone well, so I’ve just got to learn from this. I don’t know what I’m doing wrong. I don’t think it’s the conditions, I think it’s my body. I’m usually so in tune with my body.

“I don’t know what happened, there was just nothing in my body. I’ve just never experienced anything like that before. Last week I had a great, great session. This week I’ve done hardly anything, just easing right down for the race.”

Women’s 400m

Lee McConnell (Shaftesbury Barnet), Nicola Sanders (Windsor, Slough, Eton & Hounslow) and Christine Ohuruogu (Newham & Essex Beagles) easily made the top four in each of their heats to proceed to the 400m semi-final.

McConnell ran a season’s best 51.44 to come fourth in Heat 1. Running in Heat 2, Sanders ran 51.45 in second place, while Ohuruogu also took second place in a season’s best 50.46 in the fifth and final heat.

Women’s 100m

Laura Turner (Harrow), Montell Douglas (Blackheath & Bromley) and Jeanette Kwakye (Woodford Green & Essex Ladies) all progressed from Sunday morning’s heats of the women’s 100m.

Turner and Douglas both finished in the first three of their heats to secure automatic qualification, whilst Kwayke emerged from a tough draw to produce a PB to earn her place in tonight’s quarter finals as a fastest loser.

Turner was second in Heat 2 with a time of 11.46 (-0.8m/s), Douglas was third in Heat 6 in 11.39 (+0.3m/s) and Kwayke was fourth in Heat 8 11.26 (+0.8m/s).

For more Championship news, results, timetables and photographs click here.