Canada Dry in heats; Bailey knocked out

He false-started in his second round heat and when the race finally got underway he was clearly in trouble. At the halfway mark the 32-year-old Canadian gave up altogether and jogged across the line in eighth and last place.

"It’s some sort of virus," Bailey said. "But I don’t really know what’s going on. I tried to lumber my way through this morning, muscle through. I just couldn’t move properly, I couldn’t breath."

Marion Jones, in contrast, made a flawless start to her campaign for five gold medals, pacing herself perfectly through the first two rounds of the women’s 100 metres.

The American clocked 11.20 in the first round and, running in a body suit on a cool but still evening, ran 10.83 in the evening session.

"I’m having a ball," she said. "I just wanted to set up mybody for tomorrow mentally and physically. I know what I can do, now is the time to do it."

Men’s world sprint champion and record holder Maurice Greene was equally impressive. Following a time of 10.31 in the first round, he clocked 10.10 in the evening with plenty in reserve.

Asked what he predicted for Saturday’s final, Greene grinned and said: "Great things."

OTTEY FEELS VINDICATED
Forty-year-old Jamaican Merlene Ottey, whose team mates protested at her inclusion in the 100 metres after the world governing body’s arbitration panel lifted her drugs ban for the steroid nandrolone, won both her heats and said she felt vindicated.

"I’ve shown them that’s the right decision," she said.

Another athlete reinstated after a drugs ban, Cuba’s highjump world record holder Javier Sotomayor, finished top in his qualifying group. Sotomayor had a two-year ban for using cocaine halved on humanitarian grounds.

Olympic champion Charles Austin of the United States failedto qualify for Sunday’s final.

Australia world 400 metres champion Cathy Freeman generatedmost noise from an exuberant opening day crowd of 102,485, with an easy first round victory in 51.63.

Freeman is now the overwhelming favourite to win the title on Monday night after her main rival Marie-Jose Perec unexpectedly quit the Games on Wednesday and flew home to France.

Perec, who preceded Michael Johnson to a 200-400 double at the Atlanta Games four years ago, was regarded as Freeman’s only serious opposition although she has pulled out of several meetings this year and was a virtual recluse after arriving in Australia.

The first gold medal of the athletics programme went to Poland’s Robert Korzeniowski in the 20 kms walk when Mexican Bernardo Segura was disqualified after crossing the line first.

Segura surged ahead as the pair entered the stadium, threw up his arms in celebration and was giving a television interview when the chief judge intervened to break the unhappy news.

Four cautions and three warnings had been given, with the third only four minutes from the finish of the race. The chief judge went to the track to advise Segura he had been disqualified for not maintaining continuous contact with the ground, hesitated when he saw the athlete was being interviewed and finally decided to interrupt.

Korseniowski was himself disqualified in the stadium at the 1992 Barcelona Games while lying in second place in the 50 kms walk. Four years later he won the title at the Atlanta Games.