Collins qualifies for 100 metre semifinals

Helsinki:

Defending champion Kim Collins barely qualified for the 100-metre semifinals at the World Athletics Championships. The St Kitts and Nevis runner finished fourth in the second heat of the quarterfinals, running 10.32 seconds. That was just good enough to give him the final spot in the next round. Only the first three runners in each of the four heats and the next four fastest advance to the semifinals. In the third heat, Joshua Ross of Australia ran 10.31. In the final heat, Uchenna Emedolu of Nigeria finished in 10.16, and Marlon Devonish of Britain ran 10.20. In sixth place in the fourth heat, Obadele Thompson ran 10.34, just two hundredths of a second slower than Collins. Olympic champion Justin Gatlin easily qualified from the first heat, running 10.27. The semifinals and final are set for today. Two years ago in Paris, Collins ran 10.07 to win gold. Tim Montgomery, the silver medalist from 2001, finished fourth in that race, while Maurice Greene failed to reach the final. (AP)

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