BERLIN – Norfolk State University track alumni Debbie Dunn and Chandra Sturrup advanced to the finals of their races only to finish just outside of the medals this week at the 2009 IAAF World Track and Field Championships.

Dunn, representing the United States, took sixth place in the women’s 400 meters on Tuesday. She ran a time of 50.35 seconds in the finals. Sanya Richards took the gold in 49.00. Dunn had run a personal-best time of 49.95 in Sunday’s semifinals.

Sturrup, a four-time Olympian from the Bahamas who is still competing at age 37, placed seventh in the women’s 100 meters on Monday night. Her time was 11.05 seconds. Shelly-Ann Fraser of Jamaica won in 10.73 seconds.

Also on Tuesday, Chris Brown of the Bahamas won his first-round heat in the men’s 400 meters in 45.53 seconds. Brown will run in Wednesday’s semifinals. He is a three-time Olympian who placed fourth in the 400 at the last World Championships, in 2007 in Osaka, Japan.