No joy for Gregan at World Athletics Championships

Brian Gregan persevered but ultimately finished seventh in his 400m semi-final, bowing out of the World Athletics Championships in Moscow.

The Clonliffe Harrier was dispatched in a fast semi-final to round-off an injury-affected summer where Achilles trouble interrupted the build-up to his first global championships.

Gregan had reached the last 24 as a fastest loser, meaning he was positioned in lane two of his semi and always behind American Tony McQuay.

Yousef Ahmed Masrahi won in a new Saudi Arabian national record of 44.61 seconds, ahead of McQuay in 44.66 and Anderson Henriques of Brazil third in 44.95 – Henriques had won Gregan’s first-round heat.

Gregan did improve on his first-round time by six-hundredths of a second, clocking 45.98, but came home seventh.

The Dublin athlete felt he had produced his best possible display in light of his difficult season: “Missing that much training and to come back and run 46 seconds and 45.9 is very positive.

“With a bit more training, I think I can go faster towards the end of the season - these Championships came a little too early for me.

“It was a bonus (reaching the semi-finals). The last four weeks have pretty much been hell.

“I’m happy to be back running, and hopefully this is the end of the injuries. This is the first time I’m starting to feel like myself again.”

Tuesday’s evening session could have had Irish interest in three finals, but instead it will be an early rise for fans back home as talented young walker Laura Reynolds goes in the women’s 20k walk at 6:30am Irish time.