Fairfield Senior 2012 graduation
Kroger Aquatic Center opens
Badin vs. Fredericktown
Award-winning columnist Tom Archdeacon — an old-school storyteller in a brand-new venue — writes about sports, the city, southwest Ohio and anything else that catches his fancy… or yours.Home > Blogs > Through the Arch > Archives > 2008 > August > 18 > Entry
BLOG: Amidst Stunning Injuries, Wignall Advances in Hurdles
BEIJING — On a morning when China’s national hero Liu Xiang and America’s two-time Olympic medalist Terrence Trammel both dropped out of their first-round heats in the 110-meter hurdles with injuries, Washington Township’s Maurice Wignall advanced to second-round competition at the Bird’s Nest Stadium.
The top four finishers in each of the six first-round heats Monday, Aug. 18, advanced and Wignall — a two-time Olympian who runs for Jamaica — finished fourth in Heat 4. His time —13.61 seconds — was the second slowest of the 24 hurdlers who advanced to Tuesday’s heats.
“The thing was just to survive and conserve yourself for the next round, so I’m pleased,” Wignall said.
The news of the day was Liu Xiang pulling up lame after taking one step out of the blocks in Heat 5. As he walked off the track there was a universal gasp in the stadium and soon many Chinese people were weeping.
While Yao Ming is the face of Chinese sports in the Western world, Liu Xiang is the top hero in the homeland. He’s the poster boy of these Olympics after he stunned the world by winning gold in the event at the Athens Olympics in 2004.
That’s the same race where Wignall — husband of Janelle Atkinson Wignall, Wright State’s assistant swim coach and a two-time swimming Olympian herself — finished fourth, edged out of a bronze by 1/100th of a second when a Cuban hurdler lunged past him at the tape.
Xiang had been hobbled by injuries recently, but — under great pressure to represent his nation and represent it well — was expected to compete here. But according to China’s national team coach Feng Shuyong, he suffered a set back during training on Saturday.
Monday’s injury appeared to be a painful problem involving his right Achilles tendon.
As for Trammell, who won Olympic silver medals in the 110 hurdles at both the Sydney and Athens Games, he pulled up after clearing one hurdle in his heat. He then grabbed his left hamstring, hobbled a few yards down the track and collapsed.
Tweet
