Gillick in with ‘a shout’ of medal

DAVID GILLICK believes he is in with ‘a shout’ of a medal in today’s 400m final at the world indoor championships in Doha (3.05pm, Irish).

The Dubliner, however, will have to line-up in one of the less favoured lanes after failing to better another of the race favourites, Bershawn Jackson, at the end of a rough and tumble semi-final.

There were echoes of last year’s European indoor championships when Gillick, a two time champion, clashed with Jackson at the lane break. Jackson charged to the front at the end of the first 200m (21.49) but left an opening on the inside which Gillick tried to exploit. However Jackson veered in forcing Gillick to stop and readjust his stride having lost up to two metres in the process. But the Irishman never gave up the chase, powered around the final bend and closed Jackson down where just two hundredths of a second separated them at the finish.

Gillick rubbished claims he was a little bit over ambitious or impatient when they broke lanes after the first lap.

“He left a gap open and I went for it. He looked and then he came right in on top of me. I don’t know if you are allowed do that or not. I am a little bit frustrated because I knew I had the beating of him.”

“You can’t be patient when you are coming to the break because that’s where races are won and lost.

“It’s a world final and I am in with a shout. I know I am in good shape. He is a talented athlete. He is a 400m hurdler but he has world medals and Olympic medals.”

But Gillick paid a price for his failure to peg back Jackson. In today’s final Jackson gets the prime Lane 6 while Gillick gets Lane 3 with Lane 5 going to Chris Brown (Bahamas), winner of the other heat.

Jackson won the heat in 46.13 secs with Gillick second (46.15) and William Collazo (Cuba) third (46.34).

Brown, (46.64), the second American, Jamaal Torrance, (46.69) and Nery Brones (Costa Rica), (46.73), go through from the second semi-final to complete the line-up.

Meanwhile debutante Claire Brady turned in the performance of her life to qualify for tomorrow’s semi-finals of the women’s 60 metres (1pm). She finished fifth in her heat in 7.43 secs, behind LaVerne Jones-Ferrette (Virgin Islands) but advanced to the semi-finals as the quickest of the four fastest losers.

Brian Gregan (Clonliffe Harriers) finished third in his heat of the 400m in 47.26 secs, two tenths of a second off qualification for the semis. The heat was won by Jamaal Torrance (USA) in 46.70 secs.

“When I looked at the clock I thought that I might hang on to the last qualifying spot,” Gregan said.

“It’s been a fantastic experience. It was my first senior major competition. Hopefully now people will take notice and I will start climbing those world rankings.”

Deirdre Byrne’s time of 8:58.94, a new personal best, would have won the other heat of the women’s 3,000m but it was only good enough for 10th in her race.

The other heat was won by another Ethiopian, Sentayehu Ejigu, in 9:00.34 with Ireland’s other representative in the event, Hazel Murphy (DSD) ninth in 9:17.60.

David McCarthy failed to get through the first round heats of the men’s 800m. His seasonal best time of 1:51.88 placed him fourth in his heat behind Kevin Hautcoeur (France) 1:50.61, Jakub Holuso (Czech Republic), 1:50.64, and Mario Scapini (Italy), 1:50.74, with the first two going through to the semi-finals.

Defending champion, Gelete Burka (Ethiopia) led all the way to win her heat of the women’s 1,500m in 4:12.08 with Ireland’s Kelly McNeice-Reid seventh in 4:16.26 But it was not so easy for her 18 year old Ethiopian team mate, Kalkidan Gezahegne, who was tripped up from behind by Russian Yegeniya Zolotova with just over 700 metres to go in her heat. She picked herself up and reeled in the field to claim victory in 4:08.91.

Ireland’s Roseanne Galligan finished seventh in this heat in 4:17.04. Deirdre Ryan managed just two clearances in the qualification rounds of the women’s high jump and her best of 1.85 placed her joint 17th.