Sally McLellan ran a race that could be described as 99% perfect in the 100m hurdles, but as is often the case in world class sprinting events, the smallest imperfection can be the difference between victory and second place.
McLellan exploded out of the starting blocks and clearly led the field over the first and subsequent hurdles. At the eighth hurdle the field, led by US champion Lolo Jones, started to reel the 21-year-old Queenslander in as she began to falter slightly with her technique. Over the final hurdle McLellan still appeared to be in the lead but was overbalancing and fell as she crossed the line.
After referral to the photo finish judges, Lolo was given the win in 12.58 seconds, with McLellan three hundredths of a second behind in 12.61 seconds.
“I knew I was going to fall, but I wasn’t sure when. I was hoping it was going to be after the final hurdle and not before it,” said McLellan, who was happy with her performance in a race where she took the scalps of current Olympic champion Joanna Hayes and former world championships medalist Brigitte Foster-Hylton.
“I need to get some more experience running that speed. I’ve got the racing experience but not the speed experience – I’ve never run that fast before!
“It’s a welcoming experience; it’s good to feel that fast. Everything’s going to plan. I just need to fix up the ending.”
McLellan will have a chance to practice running just as fast again when she takes on a strong field in Monaco on Tuesday prior to heading to Hong Kong for the team’s final holding camp prior to Beijing.
Despite her exceptional recent form, McLellan remains level headed about her prospects in Beijing.
“My goal all year has been to make the final and anything else that comes out of it is a bonus,” she said.
“I don’t want to think about medals. Usually when I think about things too much they don’t happen. I want to let my body do the talking.”
Kylie Wheeler rounded out the 4 discipline multi-event with a season’s best of 14.10m in the shot put and a run of 24.35 seconds in the 200m. She placed fifth overall, 406 points behind Britain’s Olympic heptathlon hope Kelly Sotherton.
Also in action was Victoria’s Georgie Clarke, who set up an entertaining women’s 3000m by leading for most of the race before fading over the final 600m for a seventh place finish in 9:03.16.
