McKee makes sprint history

IRELAND won its first-ever world championship sprint medal yesterday in dramatic fashion, after a post-race appeal saw Paul McKee awarded joint third in the 400m final.

"It's a dream come true. It really is," said McKee, who set a new national record, having already broken the previous record in Saturday's semi-final.

McKee crossed the line in a photo finish with 1999 world champion Jamie Baulch.

The Belfast teacher's time of 45.99 was posted as being exactly the same within the same hundredth of a second as third-placed Baulch, of Great Britain.

However, officials at the world indoor athletics championships in Birmingham placed the British athlete ahead of his Irish rival, in a controversial decision which left McKee out of the medals in fourth place.

The drama and tension continued for over an hour, as the medal ceremony went ahead without McKee, despite the fact that the judges were still examining the photos.

However, when the mistake was finally realised, the organisers held a second medal ceremony, presenting McKee with his bronze medal alongside Baulch.

"Once I have the medal in my hand I'll believe it and I'll start celebrating," said McKee before the second ceremony.

"Once I've had a few pints tonight to celebrate St Patrick's night with my medal they can't take it away from me. A world bronze medal. It's great."

McKee will now go down in the history books as the first Irishman ever to win a world championship sprint medal.

The other winners in the event were American Tyree Washington, who won gold in 45.34, while Daniel Caines of Great Britain took the silver medal in 45.43.

Ireland's David McCarthy also had a great race, breaking a his personal best to finish fifth in 46.61.