media_artricles :: 2015

Hackett, Thomas eye 200 final

Semoy Hackett is eyeing the IAAF World Championship women's 200 metres final, and believes it might take a national record run to get there.

Hackett has been drawn in lane four in the second of three semi-final heats, scheduled for 7.43 this morning (TT time) at the Bird's Nest Stadium here in Beijing, China.

“I think I'll have to run 22.5 or better,” she told the Express, “to make it to the finals. I'm ready for it.”

Hackett, the Trinidad and Tobago record-holder in the half-lap event at 22.51 seconds, clocked 22.89 yesterday to finish second in the fifth first round heat. The top spot went to Jamaican Veronica Campbell-Brown, the 2011 world champion stopping the clock at 22.79.

Hackett said she was satisfied with her opening run in the half-lap event.

“I'm glad that I ran the 100, so I could go out there and be confident enough to execute a good race.”

In her semi-final heat, Hackett will square off against 100m silver medallist Dafne Schippers of the Netherlands, American Jenna Prandini and Jamaica's Sherone Simpson.

In heat one, scheduled for 7.35am, Reyare Thomas runs in lane two, and will do battle with Jamaican Elaine Thompson and American Candyce McGrone.

Running way out in lane nine in the sixth first round heat, Thomas misjudged the turn and gave herself lots of work to do on the straight. But she was equal to the task, the T&T sprinter producing a strong run to finish third in 23.09 seconds, securing an automatic berth in the semis. Schippers won in 22.58, from Brazilian Rosangela Santos (23.01).

“I really and truly didn't panic,” Thomas told the Express. “I was seeing people and I was like 'you have to make it to the next round, you have to make it to the next round', so that was my goal.”

Both Thomas and Kamaria Durant competed in a major global championship individual event for the very first time in yesterday's 200m preliminaries.

Durant was eliminated after finishing sixth in heat two in 23.25 seconds. The T&T sprinter told the Express she was pleased with her effort.

“It was pretty good. I can't complain. I just wanted to come out and do my best. I'm proud of myself.”

At the end of the World Championships, the countdown to the 2016 Rio Olympics will begin for Durant. She is targeting a 200m championship race lane in Brazil.

“It's my goal, my biggest goal. I love the 200, so I'll be aiming for that.”

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