British Peacock fires warning in 100m
LONDON, England (AFP) — Britain’s world record holder Jonnie Peacock yesterday fired a warning shot to his 100m rivals, including ‘Blade Runner’ Oscar Pistorius, as he equalled the Paralympic record to qualify for the T44 final.
The 19-year-old, who lowered the world best to 10.85sec in June, sprinted clear of the field in his heat to clock 11.08 seconds — the same time that Marlon Shirley of the United States ran in Athens eight years ago.
Jerome Singleton, of the United States, also qualified at the Olympic Stadium in London in 11.46.
South Africa’s Pistorius, making a return to the track for the first time since his sensational defeat in the 200m on Sunday, ran a season’s best of 11.19 to win his heat ahead of US sprinter Blake Leeper, who ran 11.46.
In the third and final heat, Arnu Fourie, of South Africa, won in 11.29, with US runner Richard Browne in second in 11.33.
Alan Oliveira, who took Pistorius’ 200m title, and China’s Lui Zhiming, were the two-fastest losers in 11.56 and 11.84, respectively. Lui’s time was a new Asian record.
Peacock, 19, lost his right leg below-the-knee to meningitis at the age of five, and trains under Dan Pfaff, who coached Canada’s Donovan Bailey to Olympic 100m gold in Atlanta in 1996.
The T44 final takes place this evening.
