Seven-time champion Maria de Lurdes Mutola of Mozambique was safely through to the semi-finals of women's 800 meters after finishing first in her heat at the qualification session on Friday.
The 35-year-old Mutola, who is also a three-time outdoor world champion and Olympic champion in Sydney, clocked two minutes and 4.82 seconds to be placed 11th overall from the heats. The top 12 finishers from the heats competition entered the semi-finals.
Mutola, the four-time defending indoor world champion, is expected to announce retirement before the end of 2008.
Tetiana Petlyuk of Ukraine came in first after finishing with 2: 00.40, followed by Jennifer Meadows of Britain with 2:00.60, and Romanian Mihaela Neascu with 2:00.79.
The semi-finals of the event will be held on Saturday afternoon with the final scheduled for Sunday.
The Valencia worlds opened on Friday morning, which will conclude on Sunday.
A total of 646 athletes from 157 countries and regions are participating in the tournament, the last major athletics event before the August Olympic Games in Beijing.
Source: Xinhua
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