Athletics: Donaldson lines up for Olympics

SYDNEY - New Zealand sprinter Chris Donaldson will line up in the glamour athletics event at this year's Olympic Games after a powerful 100m performance on the first day of the Australian championships yesterday.

He clocked 10.23s in his second-round heat at Stadium Australia to creep under the New Zealand games target mark of 10.25s.

But beating the time was of secondary importance for Donaldson, who took another major leap in his season of improvement which will end here on the same track in September.

"Qualifying wasn't what I was out to do. I was out to run a good time and a solid race and everything came together well,'' Donaldson said.

``I just wanted to do my own thing. There's still a lot of racing ahead of me and I'm still to go to Europe.

"Having said that, it's nice to have it under my belt.''

On a day when fluctuating winds caused frustration to other sprinters, Donaldson had the benefit of a 0.2m/sec tailwind.

``It's about time because I've been running into it for a while, including the first heat this morning.''

Donaldson thrived on the mondo surface, laid by Olympic organisers desperate to see sprint world records fall at the games.

``I can't wait to get more competition on this track. I love it in here, you can't go wrong in a stadium like this.''

Donaldson was the second-faster qualifier behind Australian Patrick Johnson who clocked 10.19s with a 0.9m/sec tailwind while his other great Australian rival, Matt Shirvington, was seventh quickest in a sluggish in 10.41s.

Donaldson said he would be inspired to perform in the 100m semifinals and final tomorrow and the 200m equivalents as his Hollywood movie director-father Roger would be in the crowd.

Going under his personal best of 10.17s this week was not beyond him, he said.

Qualifying fourth for the semifinals was New Zealand record-holder Gus Nketia with 10.34s.

Nketia, who was second to Johnson in his heat, described the track as the fastest he had ever run on and thought his time might have been closer to the games mark.

Donaldson is the fourth New Zealand athlete to qualify for the games, after 1500m runner Toni Hodgkinson, discus thrower Beatrice Faumuina and walker Craig Barrett.

- NZPA