Susanthika challenged by Felix and Federiva

Dinesh WEERAWANSA reporting from China

American Allyson Felix and Russian Aleksendra Federiva are set to pose the biggest challenge to Sri Lanka’s Susanthika Jayasinghe in the women’s 200m first round heats of the XX1Xth Olympic Games track and field competition to be worked off at the Bird’s Nest here on Tuesday morning.

The 32 year old Lanakn sprint queen is down to compete in heat one of the women’s 200m qualifying round to be worked off at 10 a.m. (7.30 a.m. SL time) on Tuesday.

Jayasinghe, with an entry timing of only 22.78 seconds this season, will have to come out with an improved performance if she is to make her presence felt in the Chinese capital.

Posing the biggest threat to Jayasinghe in the first of the six women’s 200m qualifiers will be Felix, who has won the gold medal in women’s 200m back to back at IAAF World Championships in Helsinki 2005 (22.16) and Osaka 2007 (22.81).

But that elusive Olympic gold medal of her pet event has been a long felt dream for the American lass who bagged the silver in 22.18 seconds at the last Olympic Games in Athens four years ago.

But Jayasinghe, who is down to run in lane eight beside Felix on lane 7, is equally determined.

The last year’s World Championship bronze medallist feels she still has something to offer for Sri Lanka athletics and her American coach Tony Campbell too endorsed this idea.

“I feel Susan (as he calls Jayasinghe) still looks good and should fare well. She is in perfect shape for the challenge ahead,” Campbell said alter Jayasinghe’s final work out today.

Jayasinghe, who rewrote Sri Lanka’s OIympic history in 2000 Sydney Games, winning her country’s first Olympic medal in 52 years, looked confident on the ever of her big event.

“Let’s take things step by step. I know there are a few sprinters who have done under 22 seconds but that does not bother me to run my normal race. I will stick to my goal and make every effort to advance to the next round,” Jayasinghe said at the Olympic Village this evening.

Provided Jayasinghe does not look off colour, advancing to Tuesday evening’s quarter finals, scheduled from 7 p.m. (4.30 p.m. SL time) will not be an uphill task for the Lankan lass. The first four in each heat and the remaining fastest eight World advance to the quarters.

Sri Lanka has one more hope in Beijing Games in Nadeeka Lakmali who will be competing in women’s javelin throw this morning. The qualifying round throw of women’s javelin will commence at 9 a.m. (6.30 a.m. SL time) on Tuesday.

“I know this is going to be a huge challenge. Definitely it is going to be a tall order. But I have an aim, to do my personal best and climb one step up,” a courageous woman soldier said.

The Asian Championship bronze medallist was an eleventh hour entry to the Lankan Olympic contingent, having cleared a personal best 58 plus at the recent National Sports Festival.

In today’s action under lights at the Bird’s Nest, Russian Elena Insinbaeva successfully defended the Women’s Pole Vault Olympic gold medal with a new world record. She broke her own world record in the final attempt at 5.05m

Jennifer Stuczynski of the USA (4.80m) accounted for the silver while Insinbaeva’s team mate from Moscow Svetlana Feofanova (4.75m) took the bronze medal.

Jennifer Stuczynski of the United States cleared 4.80m to take the silver medal, while Athens 2004 silver medalist Svetlana Feofanova of Russia earned bronze with a vault of 4.75m.

American Stephanie Brown Trafton cleared 64.74m to win the gold in women’s discus throw final. Cuban Yarelys Barrios threw 63.64m to take silver, ahead of Olena Antonova of Ukraine who settled for the bronze with a throw of 62.59m.

Kenyan Pamela Jelimo bagged women’s 800m gold by running one minute and 54.87 seconds, setting a new World Junior and African record.

Compatriot Janeth Jepkosgei Busienei clocked 1:56.07s to take silver, holding off bronze medalist Hasna Benhassi from Morocco.

Kenya won another gold, this time in men’s 3,000m steeplechase through Brimin Kiprop Kipruto. He crossed the finish line first with a season’s best time of eight minutes and 10.34 secon.

His team mate Richard Kipkemboi Mateelong won the bronze with a time of 8:11.01 behind Mahiedine MekhissI-B., of France who ran 8:10.49. Kipruto’s victory marked Kenya’s seventh consecutive Olympic title in men’s 3000m steeplechase.

Despite losing their sprint supremacy, the USA came back strongly to make a clean sweep in men’s 400m hurdles to win all three medals that were on offer. Angelo Taylor Kerron Clement and Bershawn Jackson won gold, silver and bronze medals with times of 47.25 seconds, 47.98, and 48.06 respectively.

BEIJING, Monday