Hession second in Greece

Paul Hession narrowly missed out on breaking his own Irish 200 metres record at the Olympic meeting in Thessaloniki, Greece tonight.

Finishing behind American race winner LaShawn Merritt (20.02 seconds), Hession's time of 20.32 was just two-hundredths slower than his record-breaking run at last week's National Championships in Santry.

The Athenry man did take the scalp of Zimbabwe's Brian Dzingai who clocked 20.36 in third place and is currently ranked 17th in the world, a single place ahead of Hession.

The newly-crowned Irish champion over 100 and 200 metres will have taken heart from his performance against Merritt who is the world's fifth fastest man over 200m this year.

The 24-year-old Hession has won four of his seven races over the distance this summer and will head to the World Championships in Osaka next month as one of Europe's form sprinters.

Meanwhile, two Osaka-bound Irish athletics have been entered in Friday's Norwich Union London Grand Prix.

Alistair Cragg, Europe's fastest man over 3000m, 5000m and 10000m this year, will compete in the two-mile event at Crystal Palace, while North Sligo's Mary Cullen will go in the 3000m.