Porter progresses
Tiffany Porter qualified for the semi-finals of the 100m hurdles - but did little to ease fears she is not fully fit.
Last Updated: 06/08/12 12:08pm
Tiffany Porter qualified for the semi-finals of the 100 metres hurdles - but did little to ease fears she is not fully fit at the Olympic Stadium.
Porter could only manage third in her heat in 12.79 seconds, 0.08secs behind winner Alina Talay of Belarus.
She always looked sure of the top-three finish needed for progression, but appeared to be running close to flat out.
The 24-year-old was an injury doubt coming into the Games after she left the track at last month's Diamond League meeting at Crystal Palace in tears, a back injury having flared up.The race was delayed by a clear false start, which saw Mali's Rahamatou Drame disqualified.
Comfortable
Porter insisted she was satisfied with the run.
She said: "It was very comfortable. The objective was just to qualify and get through to the next round and I did that.
"I have been very anxious and nervous but I am fine and very confident for the rest of the competition."
On the back injury, she said: "It's fine, I'm very confident and I will go out there and do my very best."
Jessica Ennis broke Porter's British record on Friday in the heptathlon but, as expected, the newly-crowned Olympic champion stuck with her decision not to compete in the hurdles as well.
Ireland's Derval O'Rourke made it through to the semi-finals as a fastest loser .
The former European indoor champion clocked a season's best of 12.91 seconds to finish fourth in her heat.
But the time was comfortably quick enough to see her through as one of six fastest losers.
She said: "It's really exciting and feels like a home Olympics, the British are really, really supportive and it's great to be here.
"I felt like I needed to get out well and I did, my middle part of the race went a bit off, but I know I have a lot more."
