Jackson, McPherson make 400-m semi-final cut
DOHA, Qatar — The 2015 bronze medallist Shericka Jackson, along with Commonwealth Games champion Stephenie Ann McPherson, safely navigated their way to semi-finals of the 400m, but Anastasia Le-Roy was eliminated following an indifferent display yesterday.
Jackson, the first female quarter-miler in action, eased to 51.13 for second in heat two with a controlled run. American Wadeline Jonathas won in 50.57, which was the quickest of the day. Bendere Obaya of Australia was third with 51.21.
Jackson’s clubmate Stephenie-Ann McPherson also qualified with some degree of comfort, finishing second in heat four in 51.21, behind Galefele Moroko of Botswana, who won in 50.59. Favour Ofili of Nigeria was third with 51.51.
McPherson, who was third in 2013, fifth in 2015 and sixth in London 2017, looked to be finding her best form and she was satisfied.
“I just went out there to run my first 200m and I always have some problem running my third 100m, so today (yesterday), I really focused on that part of the race,” said McPherson.
“I am just going back around to cool down, do my recovery and anything my coach tells me to do, I just go out there and do it to the best I can,” she explained.
McPherson, the 2014 Commonwealth Games champion, who has a personal best of 49.92 established six years ago in 2013, believes she might just be getting back to that level.
“For the past three years I have been having some problems because one of my leg is longer than the other, so this year, my coach said he is going to let me train the other direction,” McPherson revealed.
She continued: “So I run the opposite direction and see how best I can stay heathy and take off the pressure off the sick leg as best as he can, and he did that.”
“It’s on and off. Today I will feel good and tomorrow I have really bad pain. Today, I didn’t feel it that much. The first run is always the hardest and I just come out here to get this out of the way and tomorrow (today), we will see what happens.”
Jamaica’s third female quarter-miler Anastasia Le-Roy turned in a clinker and was sixth in heat five in 52.26, and was duly eliminated.
Meanwhile, Yohan Blake, Rasheed Dwyer and Andre Ewers all failed to advance to the 200m final in what is a sad state of male sprinting in this post-Usain Bolt era.
This is the second consecutive championships that Jamaica will not be represented in the 200m, following the dominance of Bolt, who got silver in 2007, gold in 2009, 2011, 2013 and 2015.
Dwyer, running in semi-final one, was fifth in 20.54, as Adam Gemili of Great Britain won impressively in 20.03. Ramil Guliyev of Turkey was second in 20.16 and Aaron Brown of Canada was third in 20.20.
Ewers, was in semi-final two and finished sixth in 20.61, as American favourite Noah Lyles threw down the gauntlet, clocking 19.86 and was the quickest into the final. Alex Quinonez of Ecuador was second in 19.95. Zhenye Xie of China finished third in 20.03 and sneaked into the final.
Blake, was Jamaica’s last hope in making the final, and after a good start, he faded in the straight and was sixth in 20.37. Canada’s Andre deGrasse won in 20.08, ahead of Kyle Greaux of Trinidad and Tobago in 20.24. Zharnel Hughes of Great Britain was third with 20.30, but failed to make the final.
—Howard Walker