Day Two: Lapierre in final, Hills & Wellings up for 25 laps
Published Sat 05 Aug 2017
Fabrice Lapierre (NSW) is confident he can compete for a medal in the long jump final at the London world championships on day two after nabbing the last qualifying spot.
In his second of three jumps in the qualifying
He will take to the runway with a season’s best of 8.03m alongside 11 other jumpers in the final including red-hot favourite Luvo Manyonga from South Africa who leapt 8.12m in qualifying.
Reigning Olympic champion Jeff Henderson from the United States failed to qualify for the final, as did 2016 indoor world champion Marquis Dendy (USA).
“The first one was just getting used to the runway, and the second one I went for the qualifier,†Lapierre said after the qualifying round.
“I think I would have got there had I hit the board, I didn’t hit the board on any of my attempts tonight, and if tomorrow I can do that then I’m in the mix for a medal.
“It was pretty nerve-wracking waiting, once I saw Jeff go up I thought I was no chance but I managed to sneak in.
“I just can’t wait to come back tomorrow, the crowd is awesome.â€
Our pre-brief notes going into tonight's LJ Q Round @ALTIS - will Debrief and adjust for final tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/qzJNkzdtoF
— Kyle Hierholzer (@KyleHierholzer) August 4, 2017
Middle distance runner Zoe Buckman (Vic) also made it through to day two in the women’s 1500m after pinching the last spot in the semi-finals.
The Melbourne Track Club athlete clocked 4:05.44 placing ninth in heat one which was won by world record holder Genzebe Dibaba from Ethiopia.
She has proved herself to be a good racer in the past and will be not without a chance of making the final like she did in Moscow four years ago.
Two Australian women will compete in the women’s 10,000m final at the end of day two in London with Eloise Wellings (NSW) and Madeline Hills (NSW) set to toe the line.
A solid outing over 5000m for Wellings in Heusden late last month should give her confidence when she lines up in the 10,000m at
The 34-year-old placed 10th in the 5000m in Beijing, her first world championships appearance before competing in both events at the Olympics in Rio.
Hills, who competed in the final of the 5000m at the Rio Olympics last year, has since widened her range on the track even further with success in the 10,000m.
The 30-year-old comes into the race with a personal best of 31:41.10, which placed her seventh at the Payton Jordan Invitational in the United States earlier this year.
Five years after making the Olympic final in London, sprinter Steve Solomon (NSW) returns after multiple injuries with good form ahead of the 400m heats.
It will be the first time he has competed in the event at
Peter Bol (Vic) will feature in the heats of the men’s 800m after recently clocking a personal best of 1:45.21 in Germany, which qualified him for these championships.
The 23-year-old is in a relatively open heat featuring young star collegiate runner Emmanuel Korir from Kenya.
Defending champion David Rudisha (KEN) will not be competing in London after he withdrew from the event last week with an injury
Damien Birkinhead (Vic) will throw the shot put in the qualifying round with confidence having a season’s best of 21.20 just a centimetre off his personal best.
His career best of 21.21 is only five centimetres short of the Australian record held by his coach Scott Martin.
The bronze medallist from the world junior championships in 2012 placed tenth in the final at the Rio Olympics last year.