Athletics: Campbell left alone to seek sprint glory as Malcolm fails

Darren Campbell, seeking to add a World Championship 200 metres medal to the bronze he won over 100 metres on Monday, produced a season's best of 20.34sec here last night to reach today's final, finishing in third place behind John Capel, of the United States, who recorded 20.18sec.

However, Campbell's British team-mate, Christian Malcolm, made an unexpected exit from the other semi-final, missing out on qualifying by one place as he finished fifth in 20.43sec. Darvis Patton, another American, won the race in 20.03sec.

Malcolm had come to these championships with high hopes after recovering from the injury that affected him last season, and his victory at Crystal Palace earlier this month appeared to confirm that the former world junior 100m and 200m champion was in shape to do himself justice.

"I just didn't have anything in my legs," a dismayed Malcolm said. "I knew it would be tough, but I still thought I was capable of getting through. I still think I've got what it takes to be a major championship sprinter."

It is now left to Campbell, the 29-year-old Olympic silver medallist, to seek what would be Britain's only individual sprint victory of these championships.

The International Olympic Committee yesterday urged the international and American athletics authorities to pursue the allegations published on Tuesday about the athlete who won the world 400 metres here, Jerome Young.

A report in the Los Angeles Times alleged that Young had tested positive for the banned steroid nandrolone in 1999, but cleared by an internal appeal in time to win a relay gold medal at the Sydney Olympics. Although there were rumours of a positive test at the time, Young's name has not come out until this week.

The IOC said in a statement that they had written to the International Association of Athletics Federations and the USA Track & Field to follow up the charges. "All along in this affair," the statement said, "the IOC has constantly pushed for the unnamed athlete's identity to be disclosed, together with the details of the case."

Meanwhile Hicham El Guerrouj, winner of a fourth consecutive world 1500m title on Wednesday, took a firm step towards a possible double in qualifying easily for tomorrow's 5,000m final.

In what could turn out to be one of the most fascinating rivalries of the championships, the 28-year-old Moroccan is now on course to challenge Kenenisa Bekele, the Ethiopian who prevented his fellow countryman Haile Gebrselassie from winning a fifth consecutive world 10,000m title earlier this week.

Jade Johnson, last year's Commonwealth Games and European Championships silver medallist, reached her first World Championship long jump final with a jump of 6.62m.

Kelli White, of the United States, completed her sprint double by winning the 200m in 22.05sec, the fastest time in the world this year.

Australia's Jana Pittman beat the world record holder, Yuliya Pechonkina, of Russia, to win the 400 metres hurdles.

Pechonkina had broken Kim Batten's eight-year-old world record earlier this month, but Pittman, the Commonwealth champion, clocked a personal best time of 53.22sec. She overhauled Pechonkina, who faded badly after the final hurdle and could take only bronze in 53.71. The American Sandra Glover won silver in 53.65.