KINGSTON, Jamaica – Jamaica’s Rusheen McDonald and Stacey Ann Williams both advanced to Friday afternoon’s semi-finals of their respective 400m events at the World Athletics Indoor Championships that started at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow, Scotland Friday morning.

McDonald ran a personal best 46.25 seconds to place second in his heat behind Matej Krsek of the Czech Republic, who won with 46.07 seconds.

McDonald, the national outdoor record holder, lowered his previous lifetime best from 47.05 seconds last year at the Tyson Invitational in Arkansas.

Williams clocked 52.16 seconds for fourth in her first round heat, behind Holland’s Lieke Klaver-51.31 seconds, Sussanne Gogl-Walli – who ran an Austrian national indoor record 51.43 seconds – and Lada Vondrova of the Czech Republic-51.94 seconds.

Charokee Young, however, failed to advance in the women’s event after she placed third in her heat in 53.04 seconds, beaten by pre-championship favourite and World Indoor Record holder Femke Bol who won easily in 52.00 seconds and second place American Alexis Holmes in 52.53 seconds.

-Paul A Reid