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Kelli on course for sprint double

By rediff.com Sportsdesk
Last updated on: August 27, 2003 01:10 IST
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Kelli White of the United States stayed on course for a golden double in the sprints at the World Athletics Championships in Paris when she won the second quarterfinal of the women's 200m event on Tuesday.

White ran a faster race in the quarterfinal than she had in the heats, finishing in 22.67s as against 22.97s earlier in the day.

Ukrainian sprinter Zhanna BlockBut compatriot and 100m silver medallist Torri Edwards served notice of her intention to try and upset White when she won her quarterfinal quite easily in 22.66s.

White and Edwards will also face a formidable rival in defending champion Zhanna Block of the Ukraine. Block matched White's timing in winning the fourth and final quarterfinal.

Frenchwoman Muriel Hurtis won the third quarterfinal in 22.70s, and looks certain to make the final along with the two Americans and the Ukrainian.

Veteran athlete and sentimental favourite Merlene Ottey, 43, competing for Slovenia rather than her native Jamaica, was eliminated in Edwards's heat, finishing fifth with a timing of 23.22, well below her personal best of 21.64 achieved way back in September 1991.

The semifinals will take place on Wednesday. The line-up, in order of qualifying times, is:

Torri Edwards USA 22.66
Kelli White USA 22.67
Zhanna Block UKR 22.67
Muriel Hurtis FRA 22.70
Anastasiya Kapachinskaya RUS 22.73
Mary Onyali-Omagbemi NGR 22.73
Anzhela Kravchenko UKR 22.81
Kim Gevaert BEL 22.91
Maryna Maydanova UKR 22.93
Vida Anim GHA 22.95
Beverly McDonald JAM 22.96
Natalya Safronnikova BLR 22.96
Lauren Hewitt AUS 23.10
Mercy Nku NGR 23.16
Roxana Diaz CUB 23.21
Cydonie Mothersill CAY 23.29

Earlier report: White going for sprint double

Photograph: Getty Images

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