VALENCIA, Spain — Tyler Christopher has secured himself a chance to earn Canada its first medal at the world indoor track and field championships.
The 24-year-old from Chilliwack, B.C., won his 400-metre semifinal heat Saturday to cement a berth in Sunday's final. Christopher took the lead early and fended off a spirited challenge from Sweden's Johan Wissman on the final turn en route to posting a time of 46.57 seconds.
"I got out in front and as soon as I got in front I controlled the rest of the race," Christopher said. "I was thinking I had to maintain the lead, that's all.
"I took a look at the screen to see where (Wissman) was at and maintained a steady rhythm."
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Christopher's time was the best in the semifinal round but he says he could've done better.
"I had a lot left," he said. "I could have had a strong kick but there was no point."
Christopher captured a bronze medal at the 2005 world outdoor championships but dropped to sixth in last year's event.
He remains confident he can win a gold medal Sunday.
"Now I have got to do the same thing (Sunday)," he said. "I just have to get out hard and get out in first and if I do I believe I am strong enough to win."
Mike Mason of Nanoose Bay. B.C., finished eighth in the men's high jump final, clearing 2.27 metres on his first attempt. He missed all three tries at 2.30 metres, a height he cleared earlier this season.
"I am really happy that I got that 2.27 metres on my first attempt and not leave it to the last jump," he said. "I can't complain at all as it's my first senior world championships."
Megan Metcalfe of Edmonton finished 12th in the women's 3,000-metre final.
Metcalfe was coming off a Canadian-record performance of 8:48.56 the previous night, but she lost contact with the leaders midway through Saturday's final, finishing in 9:07.16.
"It was slow, fast, slow, fast and I thought I did everything right," Metcalfe said. "I thought it was my turn but I didn't have it out there.
"I can run those times, I know I am fit and (Friday) night I was so relaxed. I just couldn't do it today."
Meseret Defar of Ethiopia captured gold, while teammate Meselech Melkamu raced to silver.
Priscilla Lopes-Schliep and Angela Whyte failed to advance to the semifinal round in the women's 60-metre hurdles.
Lopes-Schliep, from Whitby, Ont., was leading her race when she fell after hitting the fifth and final hurdle. She was treated for a facial cut.
"I got twisted up on that last hurdle," she said. "I knew I was in front, I don't know what happened.
"I didn't sleep very well last night. But mentally I had my 'A' game. It's better that it happened here than at the Olympics."
Lopes-Schliep came into this event on a roll, having won the hurdles event Feb. 1 at the Millrose Games as well as at an international competition in Gent, Belgium three weeks later.
"My goal was to make it the podium," she said. "Without a doubt I came here ready to go.
"Unfortunate things happen along the way and so you just have to prepare for those kind of things. I will take it as a learning experience. That's what I am going to do. I am going to make some phone calls. It's too bad."
Whyte, whose seasonal-best time of 7.92 seconds bumped '04 world indoor champion Perdita Felicien of Pickering, Ont., from the Canadian team, also had trouble.
Whyte, from Edmonton, was fourth in her heat with a time of 8.16 seconds. She had to wait until after the final heat to learn she had missed qualifying for the semifinals by just .02 seconds.
"I have been up against a lot this week so whatever happens happens," she said fighting back a cough. "I guess I caught the flu. I had a good week off.
"It happened. Better here than in Beijing."
In August, Whyte was a finalist at the world outdoor track and field championships in Osaka, Japan.
Whyte had raised her arm while in the blocks to signal the starter she wasn't ready. In the lane to her left was Spain's Glory Alozie and Whyte says she was distracted when Alozie's watch started beeping.
"Her watch went off and it was beeping," Whyte said. "I thought 'It's going to stop, it's going to stop.'
"I put my hand up and she was saying 'Sorry sorry sorry!"'
Spain's Josephine Onyia had the top qualifying time of 7.84 seconds in the final heat.
Nicole Forrester of Aurora, Ont., finished 15th in the women's high jump. She cleared 1.86 metres but missed all three attempts at 1.90 metres, short of the 1.96-metre qualifying standard.
"Actually I am pleased with it," she said. "I have had some problems with my approach and with my ankle and I tried to stay focused for a competition like this.
"My albatross is my heel. But I feel good going into the outdoor season."
Hillary Stellingwerf of Sarnia, Ont., was ninth in her women's 1,500-metre heat with a time of 4:18.26 and failed to advance.
Stellingwerf was among the top five for the early part of the race but faded over the last 800 metres.
"There was a lot of pushing and shoving early on," she said. "But that didn't bother me, that's racing.
"I am really disappointed with my performance. I have to just go to regroup and focus on the summer."
Stellingwerf ran an indoor personal-best time of 4:10.32 in Karlsruhe, Germany this season but has run five seconds faster outdoors.
