A disappointing day for Irish athletes

AFTER the euphoria that surrounded Gillian O’Sullivan’s silver medal performance on Sunday morning, it was all gloom for the three Irish athletes in action at the World Championships in Paris last evening.

Karen Shinkins was down the field in her semi-final of the women's 400m, Gareth Turnbull was equally disappointing in the 1,500m heats, and Derval O'Rourke suffering from a bad ankle sprain since the European Under-23 championships limped away after she finished last in the heats of the women's 100m hurdles.

For Karen Shinkins, who came looking to salvage something from what has been a frustrating season, the experience was worthwhile in the context of next year's Olympic Games, and that was also the object of the exercise for Derval O'Rourke, who was appearing in her first major championships.

But Gareth Turnbull walked away from his semi-final of the men's 1,500m wondering where it had all gone wrong. Eighth at the end of a 60.51 opening lap, he could not make any progress as Gert­Jan Liefers led defending champion Hicham El Guerrouj through 800m in 2:02.40.

He found himself at the end of the field when El Guerrouj led them out on the last lap, and he stayed there, finishing 10th in 3:42.01. El Guerrouj won in 3:38.25 from Rui Silva of Portugal, who had 3:38.37, and Ivan Heshko from the Ukraine, 3:38.43.

"I just don't know what it was," he said. "I felt absolutely fine before the race. I felt good, not just happy-to-be-there type of thing, and just wanted my body to do the rest.

"I wanted to get involved down the back straight on the third lap but there was precious little there.

"I don't know whether the intensity has dropped since the national championships or whether it is just a number of tapering things over the past couple of weeks I am not sure.

"I did not make any mental mistakes. Physically, there was not a lot there.

"Anybody who knows me would know it was not for a lack of trying.

"In the first round I just worked to 1,200m and I was very surprised everybody was trying to score points in the home straight, because we were all through."

Karen Shinkins drew Lane One in her semi-final of the 400m hurdles, but insisted that she would prefer to have that draw rather than have gone out in the first round.

"But it is a bit daunting," she said. "You can see everybody and you always feel like you are chasing, chasing, chasing."

And she was always chasing, as medal favourite won in 50.68 secs from the Russian, Natalya Nazarova, in 50.92. She eventually finishing last of the eight in 52.74 secs, well short of her 52.06 in the first round.

"Anyway, I came here and I got to the semi-final which I am very pleased with. It is a nice way to end the season," she said.

"It is a bit of a positive heading into winter training and something I did not think I would get a couple of weeks ago. I have to be pleased but I am a bit disappointed, because I felt there was definitely a better time in me."

She will return to the US in October, but has not made plans for next year as to whether or not she will compete indoors.

She won a bronze medal at the European indoor championships last time.

"The fact that I came here, ran a seasons best and got into the semi-finals of a world championships makes me happy. A few weeks ago I did not think I would be here at all and, in the context of next year's Olympics it is very important that I was here."

Team physio, Aifric Morrissey, was waiting with a pack of ice when Derval O'Rourke limped off the track.

She was carrying an ankle injury, a legacy from the European Under-23 championships, where she set a new Irish record of 12.96 secs.

This time she had to settle for 13.54 secs, behind Perdita Felicien of Canada, who won in 12.70.

"I felt okay warming up but the ankle was hurting me. As soon as I came out of the blocks it was painful," she said.

"It has been bothering me since the European Under-23s and I only did six hurdles sessions in six weeks. Up to Under-23s I had been doing three or four a week.

"But I had to come here. It was just a case to come here and see what I could do. I was trying to stay positive out there when I was warming up but my ankle was throbbing. It is killing me now.

"I came out of the blocks no problem, but I am afraid to snap down off the hurdles. I can't run off them. It was important for me to come here. I don't regret coming out here. It is just disappointing I could not do more."