16.08.2009

Berlin 2009 Day 2 - Morning session

Women's javelin throw - Qualifying

Western Australian Kim Mickle will make her world championships debut this morning in the women's javelin throw. It's been a great year for the 24-year-old, throwing a personal best of 63.49m in Perth in March and winning the national championships with 60.69m and the Osaka Grand Prix with 62.25m. Kim has thrown over 60m more than eight times this year and is confident she can reach the automatic qualifying mark of 62m.

Mickle is out on the field of play warming up and looking relaxed in her bright green. She is no stranger to international competition having represented Australia at the world youth championships in 2001 where she took gold, world junior championships in 2002 where she placed ninth and in 2006 at both the Commonwealth Games and the World Cup, where she placed fourth with 58.18m and fifth with 58.82m respectively.

Group A is complete and only four throwers reached the 62m mark. Its a little breezy, but the Russian thrower Abakumova managed a world leading 68.92m so the conditions can't be too bad.

In group B only four women have thrown better than Mickle this year including the crowd favourite Christina Obergfoll, who recorded an impressive 68.59m, but the Cuban Olisdeilys Menendez has a personal best of 71.70 and is second on the world all-time list so will also be a tough competitor.

Mickle opens with 57.46m, which sits her in fourth place after nine throwers. None have reached the 62m mark but Obergfoll leads with 60.04m. Mickle looked fluid on the runway but let go a little early. She still has a lot left. Qualifying after round one is at 58.98m.

Menendez has moved the mark out to 61.94m but still no one has reached 62m midway through round two. Mickle is about to take to the runway.

Mickle records a foul on her second attempt which looked to be just shy of 55m.

After round two Mickle sits 15th and needs to throw better than 59.46m to make it through to the final on Tuesday night.

Mickle's third and final attempt reaches 52.87m so she remains in 15th position overall and won't progress to the final.

Mickle was devesated at the result.

"I had a killer of a warm-up but it just went pear-shaped. I don't know what went wrong. I didn't feel like I was that nervous or I choked or anything," she said.

"It just didn't happen, I missed the points. Usually I get one out of three but I was just super super super unlucky, I missed everything."

"I guess that's the way of the world, the No. 2 favourite bowed out as well."

Mickle said after a solid warm-up, the three rounds of competition were a different story.

"I felt awesome (in the warm-up) and I was so excited coming out here. I wasn't even trying to hit them and they were going out nicely. I was going off a couple of steps and I was hitting 60m, I've never done that before in my life." 

"(In the competition) I just didn't connect and I kept missing the point. In javelin, its all or nothing, even if you get 99% right it still won't go anywhere. I was probably hitting 88% of them so I'm very very disappointed. Out of all the sky you have to put it through a coin slot and I couldn't find that coin slot today."

She will now look to the World Athletics Final in Thessaloniki, Greece, from September 12-13.

"I think I made the Athletics Final, so that's making feel slightly better but it's not enough. I just want to redeem myself there because I know I am in awesome shape. That's the most disappointing thing about it."

Men's 3000m steeplechase - Heats

Australia's Youcef Abdi will line up in heat two of the 3000m steeplechase this morning. The 31-year-old ran an outstanding race in Beijing to finish sixth in a personal best time of 8.16.36. His preparation hasn't been as good this time, only reaching the village entry standard 10 days ago at Cottbus. He has drawn a slick heat with the Frenchman Bouabdellah Tahri, who ran a personal best time of 8.02.19 in July in great form, and the reigning world champion Brimin Kipruto.

Abdi has opened strongly and is on PB time. He is sitting at the back of the front pack and jumping consistently. His clearances are high and smooth.

With four laps to go Abdi is beginning to tighten up and is just losing the lead pack with South Africa's Ramolefi in the lead and Tahri close behind him.

Abdi is fighting on but is unable to go with the field and is slipping back. His clearances are still high, but he can't keep up with the pace.

Kipruto takes the win on the line in 8.18.07 from Tahri in 8.18.23, with Ramolefi the third qualifier.

Youcef Abdi finishes 11th in a time of 8.49.88 and is disappointed but philosophical.

"It was a tough day at the office. I'm okay but it was hard. I'm just not in the shape I was last year. I'll come back fitter and stronger next year."

Women's 800m - Heats

Madeleine Pape is the first of the Australians in action this morning and the 2009 World University Games champion has drawn a tough heat. She lines up against defending champion Janeth Kipkosgei form Kenya and the prodigious talent from South Africa 18-year-old Caster Semenya, who ran 1.56.72 early this year.

Out on the field is an imposing figure well known to Australian athletics fans; Valerie Vili, the 2008 Olympic shot put champion. The 190cm tall New Zealander should have no trouble in this morning's qualifying round where a mere 18.50m will be enough to advance Vili through to the final. Vili has a personal best of 20.69m, set when winning in Beijing last year.

The first heat of the 800m is away. Pape will need a place in the top three to automatically advance to the semi-finals.

Jepkosgei leads at the bell. Pape is in fifth at 200m to go. Jepkosgei is down! Semenya takes out the heat but the defending champion is out. Pape was sixth after having to negotiate the fallen Jepkosgei. Pape will now have to wait for the completion of the heats to find out if she will be advance to the next round as one of the six fastest non-automatic qualifiers.

Pape's time was 2.05.85, two seconds behind the young South African.

The second heat had three runners faster than Pape so it will be a nervous wait for the 25-year-old Australian as heat three gets under way. If the fourth runner in this heat is faster than Pape's 2.05.85 she will not advance to the semi-finals.

Unfortunately for Pape, Lucia Klocova from Slovakia has run 2.02.98 for fourth place in heat three to be the sixth fastest non-automatic qualifier.

Pape was crushed to not advance to the semi-finals.

"I am just really pissed off, I thought I would be able to finish off better even though there was that fall."

"With the two girls on the ground there was a chance to get up and finish a few places higher. I thought like I didn't make the most of the opportunity."

"I am just really disappointed. I stopped, I don't know why no one else did. I just seemed to get distracted by it. Everyone else just saw the opening and went and I got left behind and I just lost my composure."

Women's shot put - Qualifying

Villi is just about to throw. Already four athletes have hit the automatic qualifying distance, headed by Villi's main rival Natalia Mikhnevich from Belarus. 19.70m for Villi, who is also the defending champion. She'll be back later tonight for the final.

We'll be back with more action from the Berlin Olympic stadium from 7pm Berlin time (3am AEST) for the men's triple jump qualifying featuring Australian Flame jumper Alwyn Jones and the men's 400m hurdles semi-finals featuring Tristan Thomas and Brendan Cole.