15.08 Women's 800m Qualifier Wrap: Martinez Bolts to Worlds Semis

MOSCOW, August 15 (R-Sport) - After demolishing the women's 800m field at the London Anniversary Games last month, Brenda Martinez emerged as the gold medal favorite at the world athletics championships in Moscow.

The American did nothing to dispel that expectation in first-round qualifying on Thursday, running the fastest time of the day at 1:59.39. She led a tough heat with Britain's Marilyn Okoro, who ran a season best time of 1:59.43, the second-fastest of the day, and reigning Olympic and world champion Mariya Savinova of Russia.

Savinova finished third in the field of 15 moving on to Friday's semifinals, registering a time of 1:59.44.

American Alysia Montano, Ukrainian Nataliia Lupu, Moroccans Malika Akkaoui and Halima Hachlaf, Russia's Elena Kotulskaya and Ekaterina Poistogova, the London 2012 bronze medalist, Ajee Wilson of the United States and Kenya's Eunice Sum were the other automatic qualifiers out of their heats.

The remaining qualifiers are: Winny Chebet of Kenya, who ran a season best 1:59.58; Marina Arzamasova of Belarus; Cuba's Rose Mary Almanza and Czech runner Lenka Masna.

The championships are without Caster Semenya, the 2011 world and 2012 Olympic silver medalist, who did not make the South African team.

The Moscow championships, which began August 10, run through August 18 at Luzhniki stadium.