U.S. women breeze in 4x400 qualifying

By Elliott Denman

Gannett News Service

ATHENS, Greece - Monique Hennagan and Dee Dee Trotter expect to get their second crack at Olympic medals Saturday night.

Frustrated in their medals bid in the women's Olympic 400-meter dash final on Aug. 24 - Hennagan was fourth and Trotter fifth in a race won by Tonique Williams-Darling of the Bahamas - they are expected to play prominent roles when the U.S. women's 4x400-meter relay team's attempts to repeat its triumphs at the 1996 Atlanta and 2000 Sydney Games.

Hennagan and Trotter got the night off Friday as the foursome of Crystal Cox, Moushaumi Robinson, Monique Henderson and Sanya Richards did the work for the United States in the semifinals. Their time of 3:23.79 was well ahead of second-place Greece (3:26.70).

``We've got to have another adrenaline rush (for the final),'' Richards said. ``We'll need to have everything going for us to win. We'll be up against some very serious teams.''

U.S. women's team coach Sue Humphrey and her staff are allowed to make up to two substitutions in their lineup between the semis and final, and it's expected that Henderson and Robinson will be replaced by Hennagan and Trotter.

Russia (3:23.52) qualified first in the other heat, without 400 bronze medalist Natalya Antyukh, and figures to provide the United States with its most serious test. Jamaica (3:24.92) and Poland (3:25.05) were next fastest in the other semi.