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Track and Field
at Battle on the Bayou
University of Oklahoma Athletics
Blackwoods Olympic Experience Comes to an End
August 27, 2004 | Track and Field
NORMAN, Okla. Former OU sprinter Michael Blackwood, who finished eighth in the 400-meter dash on Monday night, ran the second leg of Jamaica's 1600-meter relay Friday, helping the team qualify for Saturday's final. After both semifinal races, though, the Jamaican team was disqualified, bringing Blackwood's Olympic experience to an end.
The quartet of Michael Campbell, Blackwood, Jermaine Gonzales and Davian Clarke, had finished third in the first heat and had the sixth best time overall before the disqualification. Great Britain won the first heat and the United States relay won the second heat with the best overall time. Those two plus relays from Nigeria, Bahamas, Japan and Germany earned the automatic spots in the final. Australia and Botswana earned the final two spots on time. The DQ of the Jamaica team moved Germany into an automatic qualifying spot and gave Botswana the last spot in the final as five of the eight qualifying teams came from heat one.
Blackwood recorded a 45.55 in the 400 final Monday night. He had the fourth best time in the semifinals in the 400 with a 45.00 after recording the third best time in the first round with a 45.23.
Blackwood 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.
Danny McFarlane, who took up the hurdles just two years ago, became an Olympic silver medalist Thursday night in the final of the 400-meter intermediate hurdles to lead the Sooner track and field performers. McFarlane, competing for Jamaica, finished with a 48.11 to finish second to Felix Sanchez. Sanchez, competing for the Dominican Republic, won the gold medal with a 47.63.
McFarlane had advanced to the final with victories in his heat of the first round and in the semifinals. He won the prelim heat with a career best mark of 48.35. He lowered that mark in the semifinal with a 48.00. His time in the prelims was the best time in the first round while his semifinal time was the second best mark.
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.
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.
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