Lewis, Wroe and Hooker all through to Indoor finals

Tamsyn Lewis and Sean Wroe progressed to their first world championship finals and Steve Hooker survived a scare to remain in medal contention in a good night for the Australian team at the IAAF World Indoor Championships in Valencia, Spain.

Australia sent a small team of five individual athletes to the championships; however quality not quantity has produced five individual finalists, with Lewis, Wroe and Hooker to join Craig Mottram in finals on the last night of competition.

Victorian Scott Martin finished seventh in the shot put final on Friday night.

Tamsyn Lewis continued her strong form to automatically qualify for the six-woman final of the 800m.

Lewis led from the gun passing 200m in 29.27 and leading seven-time world indoor champion Maria Mutola (Mozambique) at half way in 1:00.60. Local fans raised the volume for world outdoor championships bronze medallist Mayte Martinez of Spain, who hit the lead at the bell with 200m remaining.

Maria Mutola won the semi in 2:01.81 ahead of Martinez (2:01.86) with Lewis able to hold on for third place in 2:02.07 to qualify for her first world championship final.

"I’m very happy to be in my first final and I think I can be competitive," Lewis said after the race.

"I am really quite surprised. I ran hard but after the race I didn't feel puffed at all. I am sure I can do even better tomorrow."

It was the most composed international performance of Lewis' career.

"I had a bit left today and learned a little more about racing indoors."

The second semi was much quicker with Tetiana Petlyuk of Ukraine winning in 1:59.58 from Jennifer Meadows of Great Britain in a personal best (1:59.73) and Elisa Piccione of Italy third in a national record of 2:00.36.

Steve Hooker survived a major scare to progress to the final of the pole vault where he will join defending indoor and reigning outdoor world champion Brad Walker (USA), and Germany’s Tim Lobinger as the main fancies.

After a first attempt clearance at 5.45m, Hooker missed his first attempt at 5.65m and passed to the automatic qualifying height of 5.70m, which he missed on his first attempt. With just one jump remaining Hooker produced a towering do or die clearance – the most emphatic of any vaulter in this morning's qualifying competition.

It came at the end of an arduous and difficult three hour session - which had been preceded by an extended 90 minute in-stadium warm-up due to the large number of vaulters (21).

"I am very pleased to be in the final. It has been a difficult day," Hooker said.

"Tomorrow will be easier with only eight vaulters and more time during the warm-up period to be able to do what I need before the competition starts.

"Although I had only four jumps during the actual competition, three of them were really good ones. I believe I can do well in the final."

World championships semi-finalist Sean Wroe produced a gutsy effort to make the final of the 400m against the rankings, ensuring that all five Australians competing as individuals in Valencia progressed to the finals.

Unable to match it with the experienced Johan Wissman of Sweden and Tyler Christopher of Canada, Wroe settled into his own rhythm in third spot for most of the first 300m before being passed by Russian Denis Alekseyev on the final bend.

Once into the straight Wroe fought back and in a desperate lunge for the line out dipped the Russian to take the third spot for the final.

Wroe recorded an indoor personal best of 47.13 behind world leader Christopher (46.57) and Wissman (46.86).

"I’m really happy to be in the top six - making a world final is a good achievement. Now I have to do the best I can in the final and see how well I can go. I have nothing to lose - I guess I haven't all through," Wroe said.

It will be an open final with Chris Brown of Bahamas winning the second semi in 46.68 and for the first time in the history of the world indoor championships, no American will be in the six-man final.

Tomorrow may be a busy day for Wroe with the final of the 400m and possibly the final of the 4 x 400m, the heats of which will be held later tonight Australian time. Although should the quartet of Joel Milburn, Mark Ormrod, Daniel Batman and Dylan Grant run well in the heats, the Australians may stick with that line-up in the final rather than back-up Wroe two hours after the individual final.

Live results, reports and radio can be found on www.iaaf.org.

Craig Mottram VIC (3000m) Final - Monday 3:45am (AEDT)
Steve Hooker WA (pole vault) Final - Monday 2:00am (AEDT)
Tamsyn Lewis VIC (800m) Final - Monday 3:15am (AEDT)
Sean Wroe VIC (400m) Final - Monday 2:35am (AEDT)
Sean Wroe VIC, Joel Milburn NSW, Dylan Grant QLD, Daniel Batman AIS, Mark Ormrod SA (men's 4 x 400m relay) Heat - Sunday 9:00pm, Final - Monday 5:05am (AEDT)