Middle distance star Catriona Bisset has battled into the 800 metes semi-finals at the world indoor championships on her 30th birthday, giving Australia’s small but strong team a successful launch to their three-day campaign in Glasgow.
Newcastle’s Bisset, the first of Australia’s six-strong team in action on Friday morning at the Emirates Arena, finished second in her heat to make it into Saturday’s semis.
It wasn’t easy for the Oceanian 800m record holder in her first indoor race of the season as she set the pace throughout, but found herself overhauled late on by the talented Swiss teenager Audrey Werro.
With only the first two guaranteed progression, Bisset, hoping to improve on her fifth place finish in the 2022 world indoors, then had to repel a late challenge for the spot from Finland’s Eveliina Maattanen before booking her place in 2min 02.24sec.
Qualifying for the final won’t be easy with Scottish home hope Jemma Reekie leading the qualifiers with an ominously easy 1:59.45 heat win.
Australia’s biggest hope for a medal was due in action later on Friday (Saturday morning AEDT) with Olympic silver medallist Nicola Olyslagers one of the favourites for the high jump title.
But hopes for an all-Australian duel with her big domestic rival fell by the wayside when Eleanor Patterson decided earlier in the week following a disappointing recent outing in Madrid to withdraw from the championships and focus her energies instead on preparing for the Olympics back home.
The first gold of the championships went to Canada’s Sarah Mitton, who took the women’s shot.
Silver medallist at last summer’s outdoor world championships in Budapest, Mitton, who had led from the fourth round, went one better this time with a 20.22m clincher with her sixth and final effort.
Germany’s Yemisi Ogunleye took silver in 20.19, while American Chase Jackson won bronze with 19.67.