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Local Athlete Advances In Olympic Hurdles

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Local athlete Damu Cherry advances in Olympic hurdles.

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Bill Ward

The Tampa Tribune

Published: August 17, 2008

Updated: 08/17/2008 02:47 pm

She wasn't among the automatic qualifiers, but Tampa Leto High and University of South Florida product Damu Cherry still managed to advance to the semifinals of the women's 100-meter hurdles at the Beijing Olympics in China.

Running in her first race since the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials more than a month ago, the 30-year-old Cherry opened her Olympic competition Sunday evening in the first round of her hurdles event at the National Stadium in Beijing. Cherry finished third in the second of five qualifying heats with a time of 12.92 seconds. The top two in each heat automatically qualified for the semifinals, as well as the next six fastest times.

Cherry's 12.92 was the fastest non-automatic qualifier. The top time turned in for the opening round was 12.68, run by both Josephine Nnkiruka Onyia of Spain and Susanna Kallur of Sweden. Cherry's U.S. teammates, Lolo Jones and Dawn Harper, were among the automatic qualifiers for the semifinals. Jones won her heat in 12.71 and Harper finished second in hers at 12.73.

The semifinals are scheduled for Monday at 7:40 p.m. in Beijing, 7:40 a.m. Tampa time Monday morning.

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