McKee and Shinkins fail to progress past semi-finals

HOPES of an Irish finalist in either the men’s or women’s 400m were dashed last night when Paul McKee and Karen Shinkins went out in their respective semi-finals.

McKee had his place in the final snatched from him in the last 10 metres of a semi-final.

Fast away, he powered the back straight, ran the perfect bend and was a clear third just 10 metres from the line when Marek Plawgo from Poland and Zsolt Szeglet of Hungary, who he had passed earlier on the bend, struggled past to relegate him to fifth place the first four going through.