14 August 2007 By Graham Croker
Sydney University athlete Justin Merlino finished eighth in the final of the 110m hurdles at the World University Games in Bangkok yesterday.
The Sydney University Sports Scholarship holder finished second in his heat and fourth in his semi-final to earn a berth in the final, where he came up against the cream of hurdlers from around the world.
Sergii Demidiuk of the Ukraine won the event in 13.33s, ahead of China’s Wei Ji (13.57s) and Anselmo Gomes Da Silva of Brazil (13.58s).
Merlino ran 14.15s in his heat, 13.83s in the semi-final and 13.91s in the final. A 4th year physiotherapy student, Merlino set his sights on the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games after winning the 110m hurdles title at the 85th Australian Athletics Championships in Brisbane earlier this year. He set a personal best time of 13.55s to take the crown from New Zealander James Mortimer (13.71s) and fellow New South Welshman Greg Eyears (13.72s).
Coached by Fira Dviskina, Merlino is the second fastest Australian over the 110m hurdles, behind 1996 Atlanta Olympic finalist, Kyle Vander-Kuyp, who set the Australian benchmark of 13.29s at the 1995 World Championships.
Meanwhile, middle-distance runner Lachlan Renshaw missed out on a quarter-final berth in the 800m when he finished fifth in his heat in Bangkok.
Poland’s Marcin Lewandowski won the heat in 1:48.63, ahead of the Ukraine’s Oleksandr Osmolovych (1:48.69), Cuba’s Andi Nunez Gonzalez (1:48.74) and Russia’s Ivan Nesterov (1:48.83). Renshaw finished in 1:48.92, well outside his personal best of 1:47.00, which he ran in finishing second at the 2006 World Junior Athletics Championships in Beijing.
