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August 21, 2004 12:03 pm

Three-woman 400-meter team advances

By ELLIOTT DENMAN

Gannett News Service

ATHENS, Greece - It was no sweat for America's three-woman 400-meter team.

Monique Hennagan and DeeDee Trotter, along with teammate Sanya Richards, ran coolly in Saturday morning's qualifying round of the one-lap event and breezed into the Sunday night semifinals.

Trotter, 21, the University of Tennessee senior and NCAA champion, cruised around in 50.56 seconds, running second in a section won by Christine Amertil of the Bahamas at 50.23.

``I'm not usually a morning person, so I wanted to get this 9:45 thing out of the way,'' said Trotter.

``Evening competitions are a lot better for me. The conditions are better and, the most important thing, it's not so hot.''

Hennagan, 28, a veteran of the international track scene, with a 2000 Olympic 4x400 relay gold medal to her credit, was just as relaxed, winning her heat in 51.02 with a big homestretch lift that carried her past Tonique Williams-Darling of the Bahamas, who ran 51.20.

``My goal was to get to the semifinals and I did,'' said the Spring Valley, S.C. High School and University of North Carolina graduate, a two-time NCAA gold medalist.

Richards, a University of Texas freshman, gave the United States another first with her 50.11 clocking, which stood up as the fastest of all qualifying times.

It took a 51.91 to advance as a minimum qualifier out of the 42-runner field.

Top pre-Olympic choices of the sport's experts were Williams-Darling of Bahamas (a former University of South Carolina athlete, too) and Ana Guevara of Mexico, the 2003 world champion and a well known figure in the U.S., where she has run many races.

``I had no problems today,'' said Guevara, winner of her heat in 50.93.

``This track is fast, so I am expecting some fast races. In the finals, I think we will dip into the 48s, maybe.''

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