OLYMPIC champion Liu Xiang easily qualified for the final of the 110-meter hurdles at the World Athletics Championships in Osaka, Japan, on Thursday.
Defending champion Ladji Doucoure of France was eliminated from Friday’s final.
Easing up at the line, Liu let Cuba’s Dayron Robles win the semifinal in 13.21 seconds to his 13.25.
Doucoure crashed out after finishing third in his heat with 13.36, behind American Terrence Trammell in 13.23 and Ukraine’s Serhiy Demydyuk in 13.35.
Liu’s teammate Shi Dongpeng also qualified for the last eight by finishing second in his heat in 13.24 seconds.
In the women’s 400-meter hurdles final, Jana Rawlinson proved titles and records mean little — and motherhood can strengthen a runner, not slow her. Facing Russian defending champion and world record holder Yuliya Pechonkina, the Australian took the lead midway through and held on over the final two hurdles to reclaim the title she won in 2003.
Just over eight months after giving birth to her son, the 24-year-old came back as strong as ever.
Rawlinson finished in 53.31 seconds. Pechenkina took silver in 53.50 and Anna Jesien of Poland was third in 53.92. Olympic champion Fani Halkia of Greece was eliminated in the semifinals.
Pechenkina’s silver moved Russia into a joint lead with the United states at 10 total medals. The U.S. team has five gold to Russia’s three. Kenya is third with eight overall, including three gold medals.
China won its first medal of the championships when Zhang Wenxiu took bronze in the hammer throw behind Germany’s Betty Heidler and Cuba’a Yipsi Moreno. (SD-Agencies)