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Szabo and Favor-Hamilton set for golden showdown
SYDNEY, Sept 28 (AFP) - World number one Suzy Favor-Hamilton and 5,000 meter gold medallist Gabriela Szabo are heading for a showdown in the Olympic women's 1,500 m final. Both runners comfortably got through their semi-final races here on Thursday evening and meet again in Saturday's final. "I feel really good, very comfortable," said Favor-Hamilton. "Now I just have to relax. I thinking gold." Szabo, from Romania, retained her usual wall of silence - she insists it would bring her bad luck to talk until the final is over. Also through to the final is legally blind American athlete Marla Runyan. The 32-year-old, who has been suffering from a degenerative eye condition since she was nine years old, was edged out of the fifth and final automatic qualifying place in her semi-final but got one of the two fastest losers spot. "Wow," said an excited Runyan. "I've made it to the final. It's so exciting. Now I can always say that no matter what happens in the final I overcame adversity to be ranked in the top twelve in the world." Algeria's Nouria Merah-Benida won the opening semi in 4mins 05.24 secs. Romania's Violeta Szekely, who just missed out on a medal at the world championships in Seville last year, won the slower second semi in 4:06.60. Seville bronze medallist Kutre Dulecha of Ethopia is hoping for a medal here after her second place this evening. Dulecha has won two Grand Prix races this season and finished second to Szekely in Monaco with an impressive 3:59.02. Portugal's 1997 world champion Carla Sacramento just managed to squeeze into the final when she finished in fifth. Britain's Kelly Holmes, who after years of hearache caused by injuries is having a great Olympics, winning a bronze in the 800 meters and has her sights firmly set on collecting another medal in the 1,500. "I'm under no pressure. I've got my medal. I've just got to relax and hope everything goes well," said Holmes, who set the fourth fastest time in the semi-finals.
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