Gillick so close to Rome win

DAVID GILLICK went to within one hundredth of a second of the biggest win of his career when he chased Chris Brown from the Bahamas across the line in the 400m at last night’s Golden League meeting in Rome.

Brown won the race in 44.81 secs but he just barely held off the two-time European indoor champion, who would undoubtedly have won in another stride.

Gillick timed his race to perfection, getting out fast, working his way into an excellent position on the back straight and giving himself a winning chance coming off the bend as the field entered the finishing straight in a row.

The acceleration off the bend left him joint fourth with Kikaya but he launched his finish at that point and overtook everyone except Chris Brown — fourth in last year’s Olympic final and a silver medallist in the relay in Beijing — who was left hanging on for dear life in a thrilling finish.

Gillick had planned to compete in Lucerne next Wednesday night but, after this performance, he is likely to be head-hunted for next Friday’s Golden League meeting in Paris.

He is, as yet, undecided about the remainder of his programme in the lead up to the world championships in Berlin next month although he makes no secret of the fact that he would like to compete in the Super Grand Prix in Monaco on July 28 before the Woodies DIY national championships on the August Bank Holiday weekend.

Roisin McGettigan, an Olympic finalist last year, finished last of 15 in the women’s 3,000m steeplechase in 9:57.71.

The race was won by the Olympic champion and world record holder, Gulnara Galkina in 9:11.58 from fellow Russian, Yekaterina Volkova, 9:17.40 with Ruth Nyangau (Kenya) third in 9:17.85. In the 100m, Tyson Gay threw down the gauntlet to Usain Bolt ahead of next month’s World Championships by running the fastest time of the year.

The reigning world champion over 100 and 200m equalled his personal best as he came home in 9.77 seconds.

The American, who failed to qualify for last year’s Olympic 100m final in Beijing after struggling with a hamstring injury, finished ahead of Bolt’s fellow Jamaican Asafa Powell, who ran 9.88s.

Elsewhere, Ciara Mageean of Lisburn AC has qualified for the 800m final as the fastest qualifier at World Youth Championships in Bressanone, Italy.

Mageean will line-up in the final tomorrow at 1.30pm (Irish time) as a real medal contender. Mageean showed her class at the Irish Schools’ Track and Field Championships, when she set a new Irish Junior 800m record of 2:05.38, beating her idol Sonia O’Sullivan’s 1987 record of 2:05.72. The 17-year-old will need to emulate that form to make it to the podium tomorrow.