Doha Worlds: Eunice Sum sneaks through to 800m semis
Britain's Shelayna Oskan-Clarke (left), Kenya's Eunice Jepkoech Sum (centre) and USA's Raevyn Rogers compete in the women's 800m heats at the 2019 IAAF World Athletics Championships at the Khalifa International stadium in Doha on September 27, 2019. PHOTO | JEWEL SAMAD |
What you need to know:
- United States star Ajee Wilson won heat 1 in 2:02.10 with Uganda's Halimah Nakaayi second in 2:02.33 while Norwegian Hedda Hynne 2:02.49 finished third to seal the other automatic qualification slot.
- Uganda's Winnie Nanyondo had the fastest time in the six heats, winning Heat 3 in 2:00.36 to launch her bid for the title.
Kenya's sole representative in the women's 800on in the Doha World Championships Eunice Sum sneaked through as one of the fasted losers after finishing fourth in Heat 2 of the qualifiers on Friday.
Sum, the 2013 Moscow Worlds champion, looked destined for a second place finish in the heat won by Raevyn Rogers of the United States in 2:02.01 before she slowed down, allowing Shelayna Oskan-Clarke (Great Britain, 2:02.09) and Morgan Mitchell (Australia, 2:02.13) to pass her at the finish line.
Sum clocked 2:02.17 to be amongst the six other fastest losers.
"I started well in the race but I got myself in a wrong position behind the other athletes," Sum told Nation Sport.
"I got myself in the middle of the pack, boxed in the inside lane and it was hard going forward."
United States star Ajee Wilson won heat 1 in 2:02.10 with Uganda's Halimah Nakaayi second in 2:02.33 while Norwegian Hedda Hynne 2:02.49 finished third to seal the other automatic qualification slot.
USA's Ajee Wilson (right) wins ahead of Uganda's Halimah Nakaayi (centre) and Norway's Hedda Hynne in the Women's 800m heats at the 2019 IAAF World Athletics Championships at the Khalifa International stadium in Doha on September 27, 2019. PHOTO | GIUSEPPE CACACE |
Uganda's Winnie Nanyondo had the fastest time in the six heats, winning Heat 3 in 2:00.36 to launch her bid for the title. Nanyondo led from gun to tape in a race she controlled well.
