Sports

Albany’s Taylor poised for gold

• Dougherty County native Angelo Taylor scorches the men’s 400-mete hurdle field during the semifinal heat, setting him up as the favorite to win U.S. gold in Monday’s finals in Beijing.

Scott Chancey

BEIJING — Angelo Taylor has another shot at gold.

The Albany native, who already holds a gold medal from the

400-meter hurdles in 2000 at Sydney, posted the fastest time during Saturday’s Beijing Summer Games semifinal with a time of 47.94 seconds.

Bershawn Jackson (48.02) was second in Taylor’s heat and advanced to the final. They will race in the final at 10 a.m. Monday.

“We planned to come 1-2 in that race,” Taylor said on the U.S. Track & Field Web site. “I think we can sweep the final.”

Fellow American Kerron Clement won the other heat at 48.27.

“I was pretty relaxed,” Jackson said. “Two down and one to go. We have a strong chance at an Olympic sweep.”

Clement could not agree more.

“It felt good,” he said. “I’m really pleased the other guys made it through. Anything can happen. I feel confident the U.S. can go 1-2-3.”

Taylor also won gold as part of the 4x400 in Sydney, but his team was disqualified because teammate Antonio Pettigrew admitted to using a banned substance during the time.

Taylor’s former coach at Georgia Tech, Grover Hinsdale, said before the first heat that the Albany native has a great chance.

“If he is in the race at 300 meters, I think his chances are as good or better than anyone’s,” Hinsdale said. “He just cannot give up in the last 100 section of the race. He cannot give up five, six or seven meters on those types of runners. But if he’s in the race at 300, I would never bet against him, ever.”

Taylor, who said he may have five years left of competition in him, also likes his chances to wear the American flag and win yet another gold medal.

“It would mean a whole lot for me,” Taylor said. “That’s what you do in sports, go out to win. I hope I can win again. it would mean a whole lot, just solidifying the fact I work hard. I’ve put in a lot of hard work out there. I feel like I’m the best at what I do, and to go out there and win gold, I think it would mean more to me than Sydney. Just going out there and after going through what I’ve gone through and to come back — it would mean that much more.”