Well... I won my semi. It was not a good race. I went out way too fast and rigged terribly in the end ... really just stumbling over the finish line... but I still ran 58.93, only the 4th fastest semi time. All 3 faster times came out of heat 1.
I hit the 200m in about 27 flat, was about 41.5 at 300m, but my last 100m was at least 17.4. I had a huge lead through most of the race but lost so much time in the last 15m, I won only by a half second. The thing is, if I had taken a second off the first lap I would have gained probably at least a half second+ net in total time. It's going to take a 58 low to be in medal contention. I think I can do it but I have to execute perfectly.
And here's the kicker... and this is crazy, but I have lane 5 in tomorrow's final the top choice lane. And my competition for Silver and Bronze are in lanes 2 and 3. This is the way it works: heat winners get best lanes: 4,5,6, and the next 3 by time. The slowest heat winner, Darren in 60.11 gets lane 4 and the other 2 are decided randomly (I guess)... probably by a computer program. I expected John, by far the fastest semi time, 57.10 to get 5 and me 6. But it must have been decided randomly. To run only the 4th fastest semi and get the best lane is a stroke of huge luck. Phillipe ran 58.43 today and gets lane 2, because he finished 3rd in his heat, the fastest heat. Vadim who ran second in my heat got the last qualifying spot. Since the 3rd heat was so slow, Waldemar who finished 3rd in my heat in 59.73, will not make the final, despite having a faster time than the winner of heat 3! And that is that. I'll have more time to post after the final tomorrow and a day off. Physically, I feel better after today's race than I felt after the first round. So, I'm good to go for tomorrow's World Championship FINAL.
Thanks for the detail, Bill...Joe
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