August 17, 2008	Sunday	Sha'aban 14, 1429

BEIJING, Aug 16: Pakistan’s Sadaf Siddiqui finished seventh in the women 100-metre sprint at the Bird’s Nest Stadium on Saturday.

Sadaf, who hails from Lahore and turns 23 on Aug 27, ran in lane five wearing a half-trouser clocking 12.41 seconds to secure the second last spot in an eight-women field. She however failed to improve her personal best of 11.84 seconds.

“It’s a great feeling to run alongside the best in the field. It is a greatest occasion for any athlete to feature in the Olympics and I have my dream coming true today,” she said after the race adding that she was greatly overwhelmed by the occasion.

The race was twice halted after runners came out of their blocks early in an anxiety.

The 32-year-old veteran Christine Arron of France clocked 11.37 seconds to get the first position while Lauryn Williams (US) stood second with 11.39 seconds and Tehsia Harrigan from British Virgin Islands was third. All top three qualified for the next heat.

Pakistan’s 110-meter hurdler Abdul Rashid will be in action in the heats on Sunday.

Results:

1.Christine Aaron (France) 11.37 sec; 2.Lauryn Williams (US) 11.38; 3.Tahesia Harrigan (Virgin Islands) 11.46 sec; 4.Lucimer de Moura (Brazil) 11.60 sec; 5.Sherry Fletcher (Grenada) 11.65 sec; 6.Dana Abdul Razak (Iraq) 12.36 sec; 7.Sadaf Siddiqui (Pakistan) 12.41 sec; 8. Asenate Manoa (Tuvalu) 14.05 sec.—APP