Forgotten Shinkinssaves Irish blushes

KAREN SHINKINS, one of the athletes dumped on the scrapheap by the Irish Sports Council and left without any financial aid when they introduced their new carding scheme earlier this year, was the one athlete who saved Irish blushes on a dismal opening to the world championships in Helsinki.

The 28-year-old DCH runner turned in the performance of her life to finish third in yesterday’s first round 400m heats and gain automatic qualification for this evening’s semi-finals.

Shinkins was quick out of the blocks, fast around the first bend and controlled up the back stretch. She overtook the athletes outside of her off that first bend and when Kaltouma Nadjina from Chad attacked her from lane 5 in the finishing straight she had plenty in hand to hold her off.