TWO HUNDREDTHS OF A SECOND AND OUT!

James hits the straight in the heats of the 200m in Daegu

James Ellington's dream of entering the semi-finals of the World Championships crumbled in South Korea today, as the cruelest of margins eliminated him from the 200 metres at heat stage.


Just two hundredths of a second stood between James and an automatic place in the semi-finals, as he took fourth place in his heat in 20.82 seconds.  Only the first three went through as of right.

All the athletes were way below their season's best, partly affected by the swirling wind in the stadium, which can be a 200m sprinter's nightmare.  James's cause was not helped as he stumbled at the start, and his normally electric bend tamed to holding the stagger.

"I'm gutted for him," said coach John Powell afterwards.  "He has worked so hard for this, and to go out when, in another heat, 21.03 went through automatically, it does make it a little hard to swallow.

"He should hold his head high though, and be proud of what he has achieved.  Last year he had a potentially career-terminayting injury, and here he's at the World Championships.  He has done exceptionally well, and now we must move on and focus on the biggest year ever in British Athletics - 2012!!