Olympic legend Cathy Freeman has tipped a much-improved performance from Australia's Sally McLellan as she goes for gold in the women's 100 metres hurdles final at the World Athletics Championships in Berlin on Thursday morning (Australian time).
McLellan, who was a shock silver medallist in the event at last year's Beijing Olympics, won her heat on Wednesday morning but her time of 12.82 seconds was the slowest of the five heats and she only qualified eighth fastest for tomorrow morning's semi-finals, which will be run just hours before the final.
After her heat McLellan was critical of her performance, describing it as 'terrible'.
But Freeman, the gold medallist in the 400 metres at the Sydney Olympics, says McLellan will lift her performance as the pressure increases in the semi-finals and final.
"Absolutely, she has done it before," Freeman said on Wednesday.
"I know exactly what she (McLellan) is feeling and I'm sure she will be fine and will hold it together."
"I know she has been quoted as saying she is not too happy with her form but the most important thing is she is there with a chance - the chance to get into the final."
Freeman said elite athletes were rarely happy with their form so little should be read into McLellan's negative post-race comments following her heat.
"I'm sure that was some strategy just trying to take the pressure off herself and most elite athletes are so self critical and are never truly happy with their form."
McLellan spoke to Freeman before the world championships in Berlin after admitting to nerves in the lead-up the event as she sought advice from Freeman about how to handle such pressure with Freeman only too glad to help.
"She has just recently come out of the blue and asked me for her help and it’s nice to know my thoughts are meaningful to her," Freeman said.
"I know I will be up at 2.15am tomorrow morning to watch her semi and I will be watching wide-eyed and bushy-tailed."
McLellan is in the third of three semi-finals and is in the same semi as the woman that beat her for the gold medal in Beijing in American Dawn Harper.
But it was Olympic bronze medallist Priscilla Lopes-Schliep of Canada that was the fastest qualifier for the semi-finals in a time of 12.56 seconds with the top two from each-semi-final plus the next two fastest to advance to the final, which is scheduled to be run at 5.15am (Eastern Standard Time) on Thursday morning.