Veteran Ottey into 100m semis with Gevaert - Kluft leads

By John Bagratuni Aug 8, 2006, 12:25 GMT

Slovenian Merlene Ottey reacts after the women\'s 100m heat during the European Athletics Championships 2006 in Gothenburg, Tuesday 08 August 2006. Ottey qualified for the next round. EPA/KERIM OKTEN

Gothenburg, Sweden - Sprint legend Merlene Ottey made her European championship debut at the age of 46 on Tuesday, advancing into the 100 metres semi-finals.

Ottey, a former Jamaican who now competes for Slovenia, equalled her season-best 11.41 seconds which is also an over-45 world record. No other women in that age group has ever run below 12 seconds.

'It is a good feeling to be at my first European Championships outdoors, but again I must say it is a pity I am not faster.

'Of course I want to make the finals, but for that I would need to be faster in the semifinals at least by two metres. I will try, be sure,' said Ottey.

Ottey has a stunning 35 medals from major championships since 1980 highlighted by 200m world titles 1993 and 1995, the latter event in the same Gothenburg stadium as Tuesday's race.

But she never won a major 100m title, famously pipped in photo- finishes by American Gail Devers Gail Devers at the 1993 worlds and 1996 Olympics.

Ottey, who has been living in Slovenia since 1999 but missed the 2002 Euro event due to injury, originally retired after the 2004 Olympics and underwent surgery on her thigh. But she decided to return after all and now even may continue until the 2008 Olympics.

Belgian top favourite Kim Gevaert handily won her heat in 11.19 seconds and Olympic champion Yuliya Nesterenko of Belarus also squeezed through in 11.33 seconds.

'It felt really good. It was quite easy,' said Gevaert, who is tipped to get a sprint double as European season-leader in the 100m (11.04) and 200m (22.20).

'I was a little bit nervous before the race because there is a lot of pressure on me as I am leading the European lists. Everybody in my tiny country expects a gold medal from me, but I keep reminding myself that this is only sports.'

Carolina Kluft, the European, world and Olympic champion, soared 6.65m in the long-jump Tuesday to extend her heptathlon lead in front of a boisterous home crowd en route to Sweden's likely first title later Tuesday.

Kluft has 5,046 points to lead from Briton Kelly Sotherton (4,876) and Karin Ruckstuhl of the Netherlands (4,821) in the javelin and concluding 800m.

In other early action on a sunny morning, Olympic silver medallist Hrisopiyi Devetzi of Greece led women's triple jump qualifying with 14.64m from Russian top favourite Tatyana Lebedeva, who had 14.36m.

'For me the gold medal from European championships is something special, because I do not have it. That means these championships are very important for me,' said Lebedeva, who has two triple jump world titles and a long jump Olympic gold.

Favourites Vanya Stambolova of Bulgaria and Russian Olga Zaytseva cruised through the women's 400m heats in 50.39 and 50.89 seconds, respectively and German world champion Franka Dietzsch just needed one throw of 65.93m to make Thursday's final.

The finals apart from the heptathlon in the evening session are the men's 100m, 10,000m, 20km walk, long jump and the women's hammer throw.