McGettigan bows out in Berlin

The 12th IAAF World Athletics Championships got off to a disappointing start for Ireland this morning as Wicklow's Roisin McGettigan failed to qualify from the 3000 metres Steeplechase heats.

McGettigan, who finished in the top ten at both of the previous World Championships, made a promising start to her heat on the eye-catching blue track at Berlin's Olympiastadion.

But as the race wore on, the Sli Cualann athlete dropped off the pace and ended up 13th of the 14-strong field, hitting the line in 9 minutes, 59.10secs.

McGettigan impressed in the indoor season, narrowly missing out on a medal in the 1500m at the European Indoor Championships in Turin.

But her outdoor form has been patchy this summer and she only came into today's heat with a season's best of 9:56.71 - almost half-a-minute slower than her personal best of 9:28.29.

Speaking before the Worlds, the 28-year-old said she was in 'good form' and that running 'a personal best' and putting in 'a good performance in the final' were her aims.

McGettigan's heat was won by Tunisia's Habiba Ghribi in 9:26.40, with Russia's Yuliya Zarudneva (9:26.64), American Jennifer Barringer (9:26.81), Poland's Katarzyna Kowalska (9:26.93) and Kenya's Ruth Bisibori Nyangau (9:27.04) filling the other qualifying spots.

World record holder, Gulnara Galkina from Russia, was the most impressive heat winner, comfortably clocking 9:17.67 in the first heat, but her compatriot, defending World champion Yekaterina Volkova, bowed out of the competition in the third heat - finishing a shocking seventh in 9:43.52.

There are two other Irish competitors in action in Berlin later today.

Corkman Robert Heffernan has high hopes of breaking into the medals in the 20km walk after finishing eight in last year's Olympics in Beijing and sixth at the 2007 Worlds in Osaka. The gun for the final will go at 12pm Irish time.

Clonmel's Thomas Chamney has had a confidence-boosting summer to date, capped by the recent defence of his 800 metres title at the National Championships in Santry.

Speaking ahead of his 1500m heat this evening (5.15pm Irish time), he said: "This season has gone better than I expected and probably better than anyone else had expected. I have had massive breakthroughs in both my 800m and 1500m times.

"I've shaved a second off my 1500m best and five seconds off my 800m best, so I feel I have broken through to a new level in my racing.

"My racing has gone really well mainly because I have not raced as much. I have probably raced half of what I raced last year and I'm feeling a lot better for it.

"I adopted a more relaxed lifestyle this season and it has worked out well for me so far."