Aug. 30, 2007

Columbia, SC – Led by two-time Olympic silver medalist Terrence Trammell, three former Gamecock All-Americans took the track in Osaka, Japan at the World Championships on Thursday and one finished just .01 seconds from a medal. The meet can be seen on VERSUS and on NBC Saturday and Sunday – check your local listings.

Former All-American Rodney Martin ran a life-time best to finish fourth in the 200m at 20.06, just .01 from Wallace Spearman’s 20.05. The USA went 1-3-4 in the 200m with Tyson Gay, the winner of the 100m earlier this week, taking the gold and Spearman winning the bronze. Martin is expected to join former Gamecock teammate Leroy Martin as members of the USA’s 4x100m relay team which begins competition Friday.

Former NCAA champion Tiffany Williams finished seventh in the finals of the 400m hurdles at 54.63 – her first World Championship final.

The 2007 Visa Champion and world leader Williams ran a bold race, but fell short in the women’s 400m hurdles final. Running out of the disadvantageous lane 9, Williams went out fast, leading the field over the first five hurdles before defending champion and world record holder Yuliya Pechenkina of Russia and Jana Rawlinson of Australia made their move. Coming down the final stretch, it was a two-woman race between Rawlinson and Pechenkina, with third place up for grabs. Williams was in third over the final hurdle, but her brisk early pace took its toll and she faded to seventh in 54.63. Rawlinson took the gold in 53.31, with Pechenkina second in 53.50 and Anna Jesien of Poland third in 53.92.

Finally, Trammell, in the hunt for his second Outdoor World medal (2003, silver) won his heat of the semi-finals at 13.23 to advance to Friday’s final. He has won two gold medals indoors, the 60m hurdles in 2001 and ’06.

Trammell will meet the man who kept him from winning the gold medal at the 2004 Athens Olympics in the finals – world record holder China’s Xiang Liu.