Women forge ahead in Berlin

For Immediate Release
Sunday, August 16, 2009

BERLIN - Team USA’s women led the charge in the morning session as all 100m and 800m women advanced to the next round, and Michelle Carter and Rachel Yurkovich qualified for their respective finals Sunday morning at the 2009 IAAF World Outdoor Track & Field Championships at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin.

All women advance in 100m and 800m

All three American women easily advanced to the next round of the women’s 100m. 2007 World Outdoor bronze medalist Carmelita Jeter (Los Angeles) won heat 3 in 11.22 after looking around and visibly easing up at the 80m mark. It was the fastest time of the first round.

2005 world champion and ‘07 silver medalist Lauryn Williams (Miami, Fla.) won heat 7 in 11.36 and two-time Olympian Muna Lee (College Station, Texas) was second in heat 9 in 11.42.

They take the top three plus the next six fastest to the semifinal of the women’s 800m. In heat 1 of the first round, Geena Gall (Ann Arbor, Mich.) was sitting in fourth/fifth and it appeared she would not move on. With 120m to go, reigning world champion Janeth Jepkosgei (KEN) stumbled and fell to the ground vaulting Gall into second place in 2:02.63 and moving her into the semifinal.

Heat 3 saw four-time Olympian Hazel Clark (Knoxville, Tenn.) leading for the first 300m, but in fourth place at the halfway point. Clark fought her way back to finish third in 2:02.67 and grab a spot in the next round. Maggie Vessey (Soquel, Calif.) easily moved on to the next round, finishing as the runner-up in heat 5 in 2:04.07.

Carter to compete in tonight’s shot final

2008 Olympic finalist Michelle Carter (Ovilla, Texas) qualified for the final in the women’s shot put on her last throw with an effort of 18.44 meters/60 feet 6 inches. 2008 Olympian Jillian Camarena (Tuscon, Ariz.) finished 23rd in qualifying with a best effort of 16.92m/55-6.25 and, after two fouls, three-time USA Outdoor champion Kristin Heaston (Opelika, Ala.) finished 28th with a mark of 14.98m/49-1.75.

Yurkovich first American woman in javelin final since 1983

Two-time NCAA champion Rachel Yurkovich finished 11th in qualifying in the women’s javelin with a best mark of 59.57m/195-5 and has qualified for Tuesday’s final. Yurkovic is the first American woman to qualify for the women’s javelin final at a World Championships since Karin Smith finsihed 10th in 1983 at the innaugural World Championships in Helsinki. Two-time USA Outdoor champion Kara Patterson (West Lafayette, Ind.) finished 29th in qualifying with 52.71m/172-11.2 and will not move on.

With just two events remaining in the women’s heptathlon, 2009 USA Outdoor champion Diana Pickler (Sasche, Texas) is currently in 10th place with 4,513 points. Sharon Day (Costa Mesa, Calif.) is just behind Pickler in 11th with 4,470 points and Bettie Wade (Northville, Mich.) is in 24th with 3,780 points.

In the first round of the men’s steeplechase, 2007 Pan Am Games champion Josh McAdams (Cordova, Tenn.) was 13th in heat 2 in 9:02.19. Running with the leader for the most of the first half of heat 3, Dan Huling (Geneva, Ill.) was unable to hold the pace and finished 12th in 8:46.79. Kyle Alcorn (Fresno, Calif.) was forced to step off the track after experiencing chest pains in heat 1 and did not finish his race. No Americans advanced to Tuesday’s final.

In the women’s 20 km racewalk, four-time USA Outdoor champion Teresa Vaill (Gainesville, Fla.) wasn’t feeling well at the 5km checkpoint and dropped out of the race between the 5 and 6km mark.

Taylor out, in, out again

Two-time Olympic gold medalist Angelo Taylor (Atlanta, Ga.) finished fourth in heat 4 of the opening round of the men’s 400m hurdles competition Saturday evening in 49.64 seconds. His performance did not warrant advancement to the semifinals.

Following the race the meet referee ruled that Brendan Cole of Australia, who ran in Taylor’s heat, was disqualified for trail leg violations (IAAF Rule 168.7) over hurdles 1, 2 & 7, which moved Taylor up one spot and in to the semifinals.

Members of the Australian delegation filed a protest, which Team USA officials learned about late last evening. The referee reversed his original decision on video evidence and Team USA officials appealed that decision. The Jury of Appeals met this morning and denied the U.S. appeal to have Cole disqualified. Taylor will not compete in this evening’s semifinals.

For complete results, quotes and Team USA reports, visit www.usatf.org.