Women's 400 Preview

Michelle Collins has bounced back from a pelvic stress facture that hindered her in Sydney. She clocked the fastest semi-final of Friday at 50.98, the lone sub-51 time in the semis. While she ran hard early, then hung on in the stretch, she will have to watch in today's final for Suziann Reid, 2nd (51.14) in Collins's semi on Friday.

And no one can overlook the 1-2 placers in the other semi, Olympians LaTasha Colander-Richardson (51.48) and Monique Henderson (51.58). The latter probably has good memories of Hayward Field, since she won the '96 NCAA 800 here while attending North Carolina.

Leading collegiate finalists is South Carolina's Demetria Washington (51.50), the fastest of the three Gamecocks in the final. The other two are the Barber twins, Miki (52.05) and Lisa (52.35). And the finalist everyone has to watch is ultra-experienced Jearl Miles-Clark (51.75 in her semi), a three-time winner of this title.
/Jon Hendershott/