Chamney shows his resolve

ATHLETICS/European Indoor Championships:Trouble can come at you from all directions in the qualifying rounds of any indoor championships. When it appeared on the shoulder of Thomas Chamney with a lap and a half to go in the 800 metres he responded with vengeance-like determination and with that eased his way into today's semi-finals.

It was a remarkable show of resolve from the 22-year-old Dubliner, who has been making excellent progress on the US indoor circuit in the colours of Notre Dame University. With this form and spirit there's no reason he can't make a similar impact on his semi-final.

"Well I didn't come here to make up the numbers," he boldly stated, attracting a fair bit of attention in the mixed zone of Birmingham's Indoor arena. "I knew I had to get over the first day, because once you make the semi-finals you have every chance of making the final. I said all along I wanted to make an impression here and that's the first step now."

The Spaniard Miguel Quesada tried to surge past Chamney with about 300 metres remaining, after a painfully slow opening 400 metres of 61.81 seconds. He immediately responded, and while Quesada eventually got past to win in 1:55.43, Chamney was a clear second in 1:55.58 - possibly the slowest time he'd run since his schoolboy days in St Columba's College in Rathfarnham.

"When I saw us come through in 61 seconds I knew it would be a serious burn up," he added. "So as soon as Quesada come on me I just knew I had to go. We were going so slow at that stage that if I didn't get into the top two there was no way I was going through.

"But I felt real comfortable, and coming into the last bend I heard the commentator say we'd put a gap on everybody. I don't think the semi-finals will be run much faster than 1:47, and I know I can handle that. I was nervous before this heat, but I think I've a real crack now at making the final."

For David McCarthy, running in the third heat, trouble came early on when clipped by the British runner Richard Hill, leaving a bloody gash on his left knee. McCarthy kept his cool in a faster run race, making one decisive move down the final backstretch to get into a qualifying position, his third place time of 1:49.60 seeing him through as one of the four fastest losers.

It was only the fifth race at the distance for the former 400-metre specialist, and at this rate he's turning into the dark horse of this event: "That was the plan," he explained, "to attack down the back straight. If it had been slow I would have gone to the front, but luckily it was fast. I'd a good last lap, felt strong, so all bodes well for the outdoors.

"This is really a year-and-a-half plan, to get to Beijing, and at the moment I think I'm still on course for that. If I can run 1:48 tomorrow I'll be very happy."

Trouble came at Mark Carroll and Mark Christie from the worst direction of all - their own legs. Having watched Alistair Cragg qualify from heat one, they'd hoped to do likewise in heat two of the 3,000 metres, but instead found themselves trailed off before halfway. Carroll, the former European champion at 3,000 metres from seven years ago, ended up 10th in 8:12.60, with Christie even further back in 12th, running 8:33.61.

"Just couldn't get going at all," was all Carroll could say. Now 35, Carroll was in town to see if he could rediscover some of his old form, but instead left a big question mark over why he was here at all - and surely now has written the last chapter of his career.

For Christie, the 22-year-old DCU student, this was the first chapter of his championship experience, and it was a horror story. He'd attempted to stick with the leaders early on but was soon visibly tiring, possibly still feeling the 7:58.12 he'd run two weeks ago to win the national title.

Deirdre Ryan went into the qualifying rounds of the women's high jump with a season's best of 1.88 metres - and knowing she'd need to improve on that to make the final. She very nearly did, but having earlier cleared 1.79 and 1.84, just narrowly failed at 1.89. She'd cleared the bar but then clipped it on the way. Trouble can come at you from all directions in indoor championships.

At the Melbourne Track Classic, Sonia O'Sullivan finished third over 5,000 metres in 16:04.39, a good distance behind winner Laura Fleshman of the US who ran 15:27.61, but still not bad for an athlete apparently headed towards retirement.