Gillick in top form for Doha

“BRING ON Doha,” said David Gillick – or words to that effect – after his stunning win over 400 metres on Saturday at the UK Indoor Grand Prix in Birmingham. Truth is the World Indoor Championships in Qatar, just under three weeks away, can’t now come quick enough for Gillick, because in this sort of form, he’s a definite contender for the gold medal.

Birmingham was Gillick’s first and only test run before Doha, and it couldn’t have gone any better. His winning time of 45.52 seconds equalled his own Irish record, run on the same track three years ago, and ranks him second fastest in the world this year.

Only the young American Torrin Lawrence, with his 45.03 from last weekend, has run quicker, but the most impressive thing about Gillick’s run was that he clearly had a lot more in the tank.

“That was only my second time even getting into the blocks this season,” he said.

“I only had my first blocks session last Thursday. I really didn’t know how I was going to run here. I’ve been training hard, chipping away, but you really don’t know until you come into a race.

“I was actually quite nervous about it. It was just about keeping the head strong, getting out, and running well. That’s what it’s all about . . . I’ve worked hard again, after a very good outdoor season last year. But I really didn’t think I was going to run that fast.

“When I looked at the clock I couldn’t believe it. I was just sorry I didn’t dip, because then I would get the record.

“To run that sort of time in February is great. It really is. So we’ll go to Doha now, and just see what I can do.”

At 26, Gillick is clearly coming into his peak, having made the key breakthrough last summer by running under 45 seconds for the first time, and finishing sixth in the World Championships in Berlin. Saturday’s performance underlined that maturity, as he cruised into second position after the first 200 metres, before taking over the lead from Ricardo Chambers of Jamaica. Chambers surprisingly let Gillick through on the inside, but once Gillick took control he was in a class of his own – with Rabah Yousif of Sudan finishing second in a national record of 46.24.

Another Doha-bound athlete, Kelly Proper, also performed well in Birmingham to finish fifth in the women’s long jump with a best of 6.33 meters.

Derval O’Rourke withdrew from the 60 metres hurdles purely on precautionary grounds as she was suffering from a slight head cold, but she remains intent on being in Doha too to challenge for a gold medal, and will no doubt take some inspiration from Gillick.

It’s been a while since Ireland had two gold medal contenders at the World Indoors; 1987, actually, when both Marcus O’Sullivan and Frank O’Mara collected gold. And the original favourite for the gold medal, Eamonn Coghlan, fell.

Meanwhile on Saturday, British athlete Jenny Meadows, who won bronze in the 800 metres at the World Championships in Berlin last August, broke Kelly Holmes’ seven-year-ol British record with a time of 1.59.11, taking 10 seconds off the mark set off the mark set by double Olympic champion Holmes in Belgium in 2003.

-YESTERDAY, Rose-Anne Galligan of Newbridge AC won the women's 1,500 metres at the the Celtic Cup in Cardiff in 4.17.05 minutes, outside the qualification for the World Indoor Championships of 4.15 minutes. Kerry Harty (Newcastle AC) finished second in 4.2650.

In the sprint events, Ailis McSweeney of Leevale had another solid performance winning the women’s 60 metres in 7.48 seconds.

Jo Patterson (Ballymena Antrim AC) also won the women’s 400 metres in 55.21 seconds.

Barry Pender of St Abban’s AC won the men’s high jump in 2.10m, while Pamela Hughes (Westport AC) won the women’s event in 1.74m, and Mary McLoone had a winning leap of 5.80m in the women’s long jump.

Mark English of Letterkenny AC also had a fine run to win the junior men’s 800m in a personal best of 1.50.67. This time is also inside the qualifying standard of 1.51.00 for the World Junior Track and Field Championships that will take place in Canada later this year.