|
 |   |
EVENTS Fantasy Central Inside Game Multimedia Central Statitudes Your Turn Message Boards Email Newsletters Golf Guide Cities Work in Sports
CNNSI.com GROUP
COMMERCE
|  |
Boldon hoping to cash in on missing stars
SYDNEY, Sept 27 (AFP) - Ato Boldon cruised throught his opening 200m heat here on Wednesday as he aimed to add gold to the 100m silver he won on Saturday. The 26-year-old eased up just before the finish to clock 20.52. Boldon knows he will never have a better chance to take the title with the absence of defending champions Michael Johnson and 100m gold medallist Maurice Greene. The two Americans failed to make the US 200m team when they both pulled up injured in the trials. "It's important I conserve my energy. I am a bit tired after the 100 meters," said Boldon, who represents Trinidad and Tobago. "I was not happy with my performance this morning but I will improve in the next round," added the former world champion. Leading the American chase is veteran Floyd Heard, who won his opening heat. "I got some cobwebs out. The first heat is always tough," said Heard, who is being tipped by Johnson to take gold. "I have waited for this experience a long time and being at the Olympics is even better than I thought it would be," added the 34-year-old. Fellow American John Chapel, one of only a handful of athletics here who have run under 20 seconds, won his heat in 20.49, easing up of the dying meters with first place already assured. "I felt pretty good and I shut it down," he said. Chapel added that the gold was going to be his. "I'll run 19.78, the year I was born, in the final," he forecast. Nigeria's Francis Obikwelu, one of the fastest men in the field, is struggling to refind his form. "I was in better form last year at the world championship. I am praying that the hot weather comes back," said Obikwelu, who is based in Portugal. The sunshine that heralded the first week of the Games has been replaced by chilling winds and storms. When the athletes arrived at the track to warm-up the rain was comming down in sheets but the skies began clearing when the morning session go under way. Obadele Thompson, who went under the 20secs barrier in Japan earlier in the mon th had a slow qualifying victory - crossing the line in 20.69. Konstantinos Kenteris of Greece won his heat in impressive style. He clocked 20.57 but could have been a lot faster as he almost walked across the line when he saw he was unchallenged.
|
