BY DANIA BOGLE Observer staff reporter
OLYMPIC champion Melaine Walker gave Jamaica its third medal at the 13th IAAF World Championships in Athletics yesterday after posting a season's best 52.73 seconds to capture silver in the women's 400m hurdles in Daegu, South Korea.
Walker, aiming for a successful defence of the title she won in 2009 and running out of lane eight, finished behind the former World Junior champion Lashinda Demus of the USA who clocked a world-leading 52.47 seconds, with Russia's Natalya Antyuhk third in 53.85 seconds.
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An ecstatic Melaine Walker drapes herself in the Jamaican flag as she celebrates her silver medal-winning performance in the 400m hurdles final in Daegu, South Korea yesterday. (Photo: AFP)
The other Jamaican in the race, Kaliese Spencer, running from lane two, was fourth in a time of 54.01 seconds.
Meanwhile, Kenia Sinclair advanced to the semi-finals of the women's 800m after winning heat two in a time of 2:01.66.
Damar Forbes failed to qualify for the final of the men's long jump after clearing 7.91 metres for 11th in qualification the group of the first round.
Jamaica will get two more opportunities to add to its medal tally today with the finals of the women's 200m and the men's' 4x400m.
National champion Veronica Campbell Brown, Sherone Simpson, and Kerron Stewart all qualified for this morning's final, set to begin at 6:55 local time.
Campbell Brown, who claimed heat three of the semi-finals in a time of 22.53 seconds, ahead of defending champion Allyson Felix, will race from lane five.
Simpson was second in semi-final one in a time of 22.88, behind the 100m world champion Carmelita Jeter, 22.47 and races from lane seven in the final, while Stewart, who posted 22.77 for second in semi-final two, lines up in lane eight.
The men's 4x400m team of Allodin Fothergill, Riker Hylton, Lansford Spence and Leford Green, which posted a season's best time of 2:59.13 to finish second in their semi-final behind the USA in a world-leading 2:58.82, is down for action from lane four of this morning's final, alongside Great Britain, Germany, Russia, USA, Belgium, Kenya and South Africa.
Meanwhile, reigning world champions Brigitte Foster-Hylton and Usain Bolt were due to begin the defence of their respective 100m hurdles and men's 200m titles last night, local time.
Foster-Hylton will line up in the fourth heat, while the other Jamaicans in the event, Vonette Dixon and national champion Indira Spence, line up in heat one and five, respectively.
Bolt will begin his quest for at least one individual medal from the championships as he lines up in heat two of the men's 200m.
Marvin Anderson competes in heat four, while Nickel Ashmeade races from lane three of heat five.
The Jamaican 4x400m women's relay team was set for action in the final qualifying heat, alongside Great Britain, Ireland, Turkey, China, Italy, and hosts Korea.
