Bownes made to sweat it out

2004-08-24 12:09

Athens - Shaun Bownes sweated it out in "Olympic level" heat at the Athens stadium on Tuesday before knowing that he could progress from the preliminary round of the 110m hurdles.

Down at Schinias canoeing centre Allan van Coller won his heat in the 500m K1 sprint, which was the confidence booster he needed.

"Now everything is back on track. I was worried as I was a bit 'asleep' in Monday's 1 000m heat, but now its all systems go again," said van Coller who will now receive preferential seeding in Thursday's semi-final.

In winning his heat he sent a clear message to USA's Rami Zur and Lithuanian Alvydas Duonela, both of whom are considered strong medal contenders.

Back on the track Bownes finished sixth in 13.52 in the second heat, which was won by Dudley Dorival in 13.39. Bownes looked in good form mid distance but failed to maintain the pace over the final two hurdles.

"This is what happens when you haven't had races for the last three months - the shape is there but lost focus over the eighth hurdle. Some of these guys are running ballistic times - especially that Columbian - where did he come from?" said Bownes anxiously awaiting the outcome of five other heats.

With a season best of 13.36 Bownes has the capability of going faster, but has been struggling with a hip injury all season and didn't expect such speed necessary for the first round heats. But the world has got faster and the indications are there that the final will deliver some exceptional times.

Eight fastest qualifiers

Suddenly the heat was even greater for Bownes, and was turned up another few notches when Cuban Duane Ross and Jamaican Maurice Wiggal won the final two heats in 13.24 and 13.30 respectively.

The pressure dropped as Bownes made it through as one of eight fastest qualifiers. "I prefer racing in the evening and then I'm one hundred percent awake. I'm not a morning person. I am in great shape but not sharp," said Bownes, who will need to find that sharpness to progress from Tuesday evening's second round.

Long waits were the order of the day, but the outcome for 200m sprinter, Leigh Julius, was less favourable. Running from lane four, and sporting a new blonde hairstyle and one piece suit, Julius blasted off in the first 40m like a white hot poker to close the stagger on the US's Shaun Crawford.

It was arguably too fast as the inner lanes fought back coming off the bend. Julius could not maintain the momentum with 40m to do, allowing four others, including Britain's Campbell, to move past, leaving him to hold sixth in 20.80.

"Over the last 50m my legs went very heavy and I had nothing left, but it's okay. I'm only 19 and I have gained lots of experience here. I've enjoyed it," said Julius.

With seven heats of the 200m and the first four automatically qualifying, plus four as fastest losers, it was a very long wait to find out that he had missed out by 0.2 seconds

- SAPA