McFarlane Finishes Second in Olympic 400 Hurdle Semifinal

NORMAN, Okla. Former OU sprinter Danny McFarlane recorded the second best qualifying time in the semifinals of the 400-meter intermediate hurdles on Tuesday during the Games of the 28th Olympiad in Athens, Greece.

McFarlane, competing for Jamaica, won the second heat of the semifinals with a 48.00, a career best for McFarlane, his second career best mark in these Olympics. Felix Sanchez, competing for the Dominican Republic, won the first heat with the day's best time, a 47.93.

Those two runners, plus heat three winner James Carter of the United States and Marek Plawgo of Poland, who had the next best time, will draw for the prime lanes for Thursday night's final. That race is set for 10:30 p.m. Athens time.

McFarlane won the 400-meter intermediate hurdle titles at the 2003 and the 2004 Jamaican National Senior Championships. McFarlane, a member of the Jamaican Olympic team in 2000, finished eighth in the 400-meter dash and earned a bronze medal as a member of the 1600-meter relay team in 2000. He made the switch from the sprint events to the hurdles over the last two years. McFarlane was an eight-time All-American while competing for the Sooners, finishing his OU career in 1997.

McFarlane ran a 48.35 to win his heat in the first round of the 400-meter intermediate hurdles on Monday. It was the best qualifying time in the first round and was a career best by .30 seconds.

Another former Sooner sprinter Michael Blackwood finished eighth in the 400-meter dash on Monday night and he will run in the first round of the 1600-meter relay for Jamaica on Friday afternoon. That race is scheduled for 4 p.m. Athens time with the final set for 10:25 p.m. Saturday. Blackwood earned a bronze medal in the 2000 Olympics as a member of Jamaica's 1600-meter relay.

Blackwood had the fourth best time in the semifinals on Saturday with a 45.00 after recording the third best time in the first round with a 45.23. Running out of the less preferred lane one in the final, Blackwood recorded a 45.55 to finish eighth in the final Monday night.

He ended his two-year OU career in 2000 after winning the Big 12 title in the outdoor 400 with his school record time of 44.69. That was the best time in the world in the 400 at the time. He finished the 2002 season ranked number one in the world in the 400 and won the 2002 and 2003 Jamaican Senior National titles in the 400. He was second in the 2004 Jamaican Senior National meet.

For another former Sooner, Laverne Jones, her Olympic competition ended on Monday after she was edged at the finish line in the quarterfinals of the 200. Jones missed advancing to the final by .01 seconds, finishing with a 23.08 which ranked 16th overall. The last at-large time to qualify was a 23.07. Jones also advanced to the quarterfinals in the 100, eventually finishing 23rd in that event with an 11.44. A six-time All-American for the Sooners and school record holder in four events, Jones became the first woman from the Sooner track and field program to qualify for the Olympic Games. She carried the flag for the Virgin Islands during the opening ceremonies on August 13.

University of Oklahoma Athletics

McFarlane Finishes Second in Olympic 400 Hurdle Semifinal

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