London: Qatar's Abdalelah Haroun advanced to the semi-finals of the 400m at the 2017 IAAF Athletics World Championships being held in London.
The Qatari clocked 45.27 seconds to be ranked third in Group F behind Jamaican Nathan Allen (44.91s) and American Gil Roberts (44.91s). The first three of the six groups plus the best six runners qualified for the semi-finals.
The semi-finals will be held on Sunday and the final on Tuesday.
Haroun said he was in the non-help ninth lane, but he managed to qualify for the semi-finals, and he seeks to bring his best at the semis. About his readiness to compete in the world championship, Haroun said he suffered several injuries this season, so he has not had much competition, but he hopes to achieve an unexpected result.
Haroun won the silver medal at the 2016 World Indoor Championships, gold medal in the 2016 World Youth Championship and another gold medal in the 2015 Asian Championships.
Head of Qatar athletics team delegation Talal Mansour praised the performance of the promising athlete, stressing his abilities and talent, especially since the preparation period was short compared to the rest of the runners.
In the same context, the national teams manager Khalifa Abdulmalik expressed his satisfaction with the performance of Haroun during the 400m competitions, considering the result is good compared to his short preparation period.
Abdulmalik thought Haroun's qualification as a good sign and wished him a success to honor his country in the World Athletics Championships.
On the other hand, talented Qatari champion Abdulrahman Samba will play the first round of the 400m hurdles alongside a constellation of the best runners.
