Gillick needs to hit top gear to reach 400m final

IRELAND’S David Gillick may be the second fastest 400m runner competing, but he will have to reproduce his best form at the European indoor athletics championships this evening if he is to make it through to tomorrow’s final.

The Dubliner, who is joined by David McCarthy and Rob Daly, also members of the bronze medal winning team at last year’s world indoor championships, is viewed as a potential medallist and while his claims were reinforced by the absence of other top runners, his task was made more difficult when the first round heats were scrapped yesterday with five of the 19 entries failing to declare, leaving a field of 14.

The result is three semi-finals to be run this evening with the winner of each to go through automatically to the final along with the three fastest losers.

Gillick is still amongst the favourites for that and, with David McCarthy’s injury problems now history and the fast finishing Rob Daly on top of his form we could have at least two Irishmen in the final.

Also in competitive mood are the two 3,000m runners, Alistair Cragg, who is the gold medal favourite here, and Mark Carroll who won the title in 2000 in Ghent.

Reyes Estevez was an interesting addition to the field yesterday and he now bids to become the first man in history to complete the 1,500m/3,000m double. Bronze medallist in the 1,500m at the world championships in 1997 and 1999, he was European champion in 1998 and silver medallist two years ago.

His 3,000m races have been rare but he has a best of 7:44.87 outdoors and, according to Mark Carroll, he could have to run faster than that indoors if he is to bring off the first part of the double in Saturday morning’s final.

“Maybe I am not in 7:40 shape right now,” he admitted. “But I have run fast times without any speed training and, since then, I have had some really good sessions in Florida. We will wait and see but I would not see Alistair (Cragg) and myself letting this develop into a sprint finish.”

Estevez faces a busy day today with the 3,000m heats scheduled for 9.55 this morning and heats of the 1,500m, involving Ireland’s James Nolan, silver medallist in 2000, at 6.20 pm.

It will be a busy day for Irish athletes with 11 of the 16 in action. Ailish McSweeney and Emily Maher go in the heats of the 60m this morning and Jer O’Donoghue goes in the men’s 60m heats.

Roisin McGettigan runs in the heats of the women’s 1,500m this evening and Deirdre Ryan has the qualifying rounds of the women’s high jump.

Irish interest

9.55 am: Men's 3,000m heats: Alistair Cragg, Mark Carroll

11.50am: Women's 60m heats: Ailish McSweeney, Emily Maher.

12.20pm: Men's 60m heats: Jer O'Donoghue.

3.50pm: Women's High Jump Qualification: Deirdre Ryan

5.30pm: Women's 1,500m heats: Roisin McGettigan.

6.05pm: Men's 400m semi-finals: David Gillick, Robert Daly, David McCarthy.

6.20 pm: Men's 1,500m heats: James Nolan.

6.40 pm: Woman's 60m semi-finals.

6.55 pm: Men's 60m semi-finals.