A hat-trick of Irish semi-finalists

HOW DO you follow Usain Bolt? Straight into the semi-finals of the 200 metres, in the case of Paul Hession. The plan now is for Hession to follow the big Jamaican all the way to tomorrow’s final, and with that write his own little piece of world sprinting history. Achtung, baby.

In what turned out to be a memorable day for the Irish sprinters inside the old Olympic stadium, Hession helped set up an amazing three successive World Championship semi-final appearances for later this evening – starting with David Gillick in the 400 metres, then Derval O’Rourke in the 100 metre hurdles and Hession in the 200 metres. If all Irish athletes performed on the world stage the way these three did yesterday we’d have a lot more good news stories to write home about.

Hession has a slight advantage on the other two in that he knows exactly what he needs to do; there are just two 200-metre semi-finals, and the first four automatically progress.

Easier said than done, of course. He has at least avoided Bolt, who goes in the first semi-final. But Hession was drawn in lane eight.

Typically, Hession is not complaining. Getting out of the quarter-finals last night was tough, and while his third place in 20.48 seconds behind Steve Millings of Jamaica (20.23) and Ramil Guliyev of Azerbaijan (20.40) meant automatic qualification, it also meant he’d get an outside lane.

“I’ve actually run well out of lane eight in the last two years,” he said. “I ran the World Athletics final last year in lane eight and came second. I’m just delighted not to be in one or two. That’s why it was critical I came third there.

“I was where I wanted to be coming off the bend. I’m a strong finisher, generally. I was prepared for the Azerbaijan guy to go away from me. He’s a really strong finisher. And I was delighted to beat Bernard Christian, because he’s never far off the final. I was just very unlucky with the heat draw. That’s the luck of sprinting and what championship running is all about.”

Hession will once again face Mullings and Guliyev this evening, plus Americans Wallace Spearmon and Charles Clarke. His 20.48 ranked him seventh fastest of the four quarter-finals, but then Bolt only ran 20.41 to go through, and things are definitely going to heat up this evening.

“Looking at those times, I’m shocked, to be honest,” added Hession. “I don’t know what’s going on. There must be a wind on that bend or something, because they don’t add up. It felt fast but it’s not fast. I ran 20.32 in my quarter-final in Beijing, and I feel that was just as good a run here.

“But it’s not about times. It’s about beating as many people as possible and making the final. I’ve two years’ experience now at this level. I was sixth in the semi-final in Osaka. Fifth in Beijing. There’s an upward curve there, hopefully.”

O’Rourke is definitely on an upward curve again, and ran her third-fastest time, 12.86 seconds, to book her place in the last of this evening’s three semi-finals of the 100 metres hurdles. She was rewarded with a perfect draw (lane five), although in this case only the top two make the final, plus the two fastest losers. If her mood is anything to go by she can make it.

“I’ve had so many stupid things go wrong this season,” she said. “But I’ve been getting very close to running quick all season. It’s great to do it here. I was very, very nervous though. It’s all about getting out of the heat. Once you’re out of the heat you’ve got nothing to lose. But you lose everything if you don’t get out of the heat.”

Truth is O’Rourke displayed all the old competitive spirit that made her a success to begin with, running with superb buoyancy and obvious determination. In the end only Australia’s Olympic silver medallist Sally McLellan got the better of her, winning in 12.82, while America’s two-time defending champion Michelle Perry trailed home seventh in 13:68, clearly hampered by an injury to her right knee.

O’Rourke had only twice run quicker, the 12.72 when winning European silver three years ago, and 12.85 that same year. Two weeks ago she looked doubtful for Berlin with a chest infection, but partly thanks to her coach Seán Cahill, things suddenly came good.

“I just can’t wait now for the semi-final,” she added. “Halfway out there I felt I was right with the Australian. I think I was so surprised I got a bit distracted, and just thought I better keep running. I’ve also been struggling a little this year to come out of the blocks straight, and losing time in the first hurdle. You really need to run dead straight in this event. That’s all I was thinking. Run straight!

“But ever since I got over the chest infection, things have gone well. I just wish someone would put me straight in the final. Because I would totally bet on myself if I was straight in.

“But all season I felt I could break my personal best, if I just hit it. People don’t realise this is the hurdles, not a sprint. When you make a mistake it’s tenths of a second you’re out by.”

After winning the European Indoor bronze in March she then had other hurdles to face, beginning with a groin injury at the European Cup in June.

Gillick may well set the mood this evening. He goes in the first of three semi-finals of the 400 metres, again with only the first two progressing, plus the two fastest losers.

All in all should make for some very interesting viewing.