Hession on Euro odyssey in Belfast

PAUL HESSION was devastated when he failed to make the final of the men’s 200m at the World Championships in Berlin last year, but the 27-year-old Athenry sprinter has converted that disappointment into an insatiable hunger which he has directed at this year’s European Championships in Barcelona.

Last weekend he opened his season with a smart 6.78 sec 60m dash at the IAAF indoor meet in Karlsruhe, Germany, while this weekend he will be retracing some old steps to glory when he competes over both 60m and 200m at the Woodies DIY Irish indoor championships at the Odyssey Arena in Belfast.

“I was hoping to get two rounds in Germany but I only got one,” he said. “Still it was good to get out there. When you are away from racing for about six months it’s always good to bet back because it is a whole different ball game. It’s nice to race and break up the winter training.”