Welsh duo crash in steeplechase

Christian Stephenson: nothing left in the tank

There was disappointment for the Welsh 3000m steeplechase duo of Christian Stephenson and Justin Chaston as they both went out in the first round in Sydney.

Cardiff runner Stephenson finished 10th in 8:46.66 while Chaston, who is based in Texas, was seventh in his race in 8:31.01.

"I am very disappointed," said Stephenson.

"I thought there was a lot more in the tank, but by the time I got to the line there was nothing there."

I thought there was a lot more in the tank, but by the time I got to the line there was nothing there

  Christian Stephenson

Chaston, who had to jump over a runner who had fallen after hitting one of the barriers, said:

"That left me panting for breath for a couple of hundred metres, but it did not affect the race.

"It was a tough race. The guys in the field were very good."

Olympic 3,000 metres steeplechase first round heats results on Wednesday (first four in each heat and next three fastest to final):

Heat 1:
1. Reuben Seroney (Kenya) 8:23.17
2. Ali Ezzine (Morocco) 8:23.79
3. Guenther Weidlinger (Austria) 8:24.07
4. Eliseo Martin (Spain) 8:24.97
5. Mark Croghan (U.S.) 8:25.88
6. Bouabdellah Tahri (France) 8:34.69
7. Maru Daba (Ethiopia) 8:35.34
8. Florin Ionescu (Romania) 8:37.44
9. Sergiy Redko (Ukraine) 8:40.51
10. Christian Stephenson (Britain) 8:46.66
11. Mourad Benslimani (Algeria) 8:59.07
12. Chris Unthank (Australia) 9:11.19
13. Primo Higa (Solomon Islands) 9:44.12

Heat 2:
1. Bernard Barmasai (Kenya) 8:23.08
2. Jim Svenoey (Norway) 8:23.61
3. Khamis A Saifeldin (Qatar) 8:23.94
4. Luis Miguel Martin (Spain) 8:24.04
5. Damian Kallabis (Germany) 8:24.48
6. Gael Pencreach (France) 8:25.35
7. Joel Bourgeois (Canada) 8:28.07
8. Christian Belz (Switzerland) 8:33.45
9. Rafal Wojcik (Poland) 8:33.51
10. Anthony Cosey (U.S.) 8:35.25
11. El Arbi Khattabi (Morocco) 8:43.46
12. Georgios Giannelis (Greece) 9:19.14
Stathis Stasi (Cyprus) dnf

Heat 3:
1. Laid Bessou (Algeria) 8:21.14
2. Wilson Boit Kipketer (Kenya) 8:22.07
3. Simon Vroemen (Netherlands) 8:22.13
4. Brahim Boulami (Morocco) 8:24.43
5. Manuel Silva (Portugal) 8:25.70
6. Pascal Dobert (U.S.) 8:29.52
7. Justin Chaston (Britain) 8:31.01
8. Lotfi Turki (Tunisia) 8:34.84
9. Salvador Miranda (Mexico) 8:35.79
10. Marco Cepeda (Spain) 8:40.01
11. Iaroslav Musinschi (Moldova) 8:42.04
12. Giuseppe Maffei (Italy) 8:48.88
13. Vladimir Pronin (Russia) 8:57.69
14. Eduardo Buenavista (Philippines) 9:13.71

Qualifiers for final:
Laid Bessou (Algeria) 8:21.14
Wilson Boit Kipketer (Kenya) 8:22.07
Simon Vroemen (Netherlands) 8:22.13
Bernard Barmasai (Kenya) 8:23.08
Reuben Seroney (Kenya) 8:23.17
Jim Svenoey (Norway) 8:23.61
Ali Ezzine (Morocco) 8:23.79
Khamis A Saifeldin (Qatar) 8:23.94
Luis Miguel Martin (Spain) 8:24.04
Guenther Weidlinger (Austria) 8:24.07
Brahim Boulami (Morocco) 8:24.43
Damian Kallabis (Germany) 8:24.48
Eliseo Martin (Spain) 8:24.97
Gael Pencreach (France) 8:25.35
Manuel Silva (Portugal) 8:25.70