McGonagle upbeat as Irish team settle in ahead of Doha indoors

THE Irish team have settled into their base in Doha in advance of the world indoor championships which get under way tomorrow morning.

“It’s an unbelievable setting,” said Irish team manager Patsy McGonagle. “We arrived here without any problems and the team has settled in remarkably well. The whole team was down at the track this morning and everyone was very happy with the facilities.

“David Gillick is in very good form, calm and controlled, and his coach, Nick Dakin, arrived here today so that will obviously be a huge boost for him. It’s a particularly difficult assignment for him because the Americans are strongly represented. But he has shown tremendous form in his only indoor race of the season when he equalled his Irish record.

“Obviously he is very experienced at this level, having won two European indoor titles and the fact that he made the final of the 400m at the world outdoor championships in Berlin last year has won him a lot of respect.”

On what will be a busy day for the Irish team in Doha, David Gillick and Brian Gregan will get proceedings under way at 6.35am (Irish time) tomorrow in the heats of the men’s 400m.

The USA have managed to win only one gold medal in the last seven editions of the world indoor championships, but they are confident Bershawn Jackson will end the drought. Jackson won the 400m hurdles title at the 2005 world outdoor championships in rainsoaked Helsinki.

He appears to have had no difficulty transferring his hurdles form to the indoor track and he won the American trials in an impressive 45.41 sec. Jamaal Torrance, runner-up in the US championships (45.76), is also a big favourite.

Chris Brown (Bahamas), a two-time bronze medallist at the world indoor championships, goes to the line with a seasonal best of 46.20 and is another potential medallist, while Sean Wroe from Australia ran a smart 46.21 outdoors in Melbourne last week and will be bidding to convert this form indoors.

Gillick, however, can match strides with all of them. He equalled his Irish record with a spectacular 45.52 victory in Birmingham three weeks ago and coach, Nick Dakin, feels he has the strength to get through the rounds despite the fact that he has just one indoor race behind him going into the championships.

The semi-finals take place at 4.30pm (Irish time) this evening with the final tomorrow.

Irish athletes in action tomorrow (Irish time)

6.30 am: Deirdre Ryan Women’s High Jump Qualification.

6.35 am: David Gillick and Brian Gregan Men’s 400 Metres Heats.

8.05 am: David McCarthy Men’s 800 Metres Heats.

11 am: Deirdre Byrne and Hazel Murphy Women’s 3000 Metres Heats.

1.30 pm: Kelly McNeice and Roseanne Galligan Women’s 1500 Metres Heats.

3.25 pm: Claire Brady Women’s 60 Metres Heats.

4.30 pm: David Gillick and Brian Gregan Men’s 400 Metres Semi-Finals.