Athletics: Reilly fails to qualify

Marion Jones rediscovered something like her best form to cruise into the final of the 200m of the World Championships, shrugging off her shock defeat in the 100m earlier in the week as she comfortably won her heat in 22.40sec.

Ireland's Sarah Reilly, who had lowered her national record to 23.02 in the previous round, failed to qualify for the final after finishing sixth in the last heat in 23.24.

But defending champion Inger Miller was eliminated after finishing fourth in her semi-final.

"It's frustrating but I'm not going to cry," said the 29-year-old American, who won the world title two years ago after Jones fell.

"It will make me stronger. I didn't like it but it's going to make me more determined to get stronger this fall and show everybody."

Jones is now hot favourite to win gold in Friday's final - particularly as she will not have to face her conqueror in the 100m.

Ukranian Zhanna Pintusevich-Block, whose 100m triumph was one of the greatest upsets in the sport of recent years, chose to sit out the 200m.

In Pintusevich-Block's absence the major threat to Jones looks like coming from Debbie Ferguson of the Bahamas.

Ferguson clocked the fastest time in the semi-finals, a season's best of 22.39.