Hession has Edward in his sights

PAUL HESSION faces his first big test of the season when he lines up for the 200m at Cork City Sports today in a field that includes Alonso Edward (Panama), silver medallist behind Usain Bolt at the World Championships in Berlin two years ago when the Jamaican shaved .11 of a second off the world record he set at the Olympic Games in Beijing the previous year.

The Athenry man, who set the Irish record at 20.30 in Santry in 2007 and had a best of 20.46 last year, showed signs of his best form with a 20.65 run in the European Team Championships, but he hopes, given the right conditions, he can make a major improvement at the CIT Track today.

With the world silver medallist and his old sparring partner Brendan Christian (Antigua & Barbuda) in the field, Hession expects the 200m to be a fast one. Christian stopped Hession’s winning streak of doubles dead two years ago when he flew in to win the 100m and then walked away before the Irishman had a chance for revenge in the 200m.