How members of the Irish squad fared today

ATHLETICS: WOMEN’S 400m

After an anxious wait, Joanne Cuddihy was confirmed as an Olympic 400m semi-finalist, having posted the fastest time of the runners-up in the opening heats in London.

The Kilkenny athlete ran the first heat of seven in a time of 52.09 seconds to finish fourth.

Outside the top three in the following six heats, that time was not bettered and was good enough to ensure she’ll be back on the track this evening (8.05pm), in the hope that she can pull up a notch and maybe post a personal best.

It’s been five years since she has run 50.73 for an Irish record, however, and yesterday’s run, she admitted afterwards, showed no sign of that form.

Cuddihy was out of the blocks quickly and, prior to learning of her qualification, she said she probably went too fast early on. The last 100m proved difficult for her and Kenyan Joy Nakhumicha Sakari took third behind winner Francena McCorory of America and Britain’s Olympic champion Christine Ohuruogu.

“I’m gutted really,” the 28-year-old told RTÉ immediately afterwards. “That’s just not good enough.

“My legs just absolutely died in the latter bit of the race. I was sick with nerves before the race, I was worried that I’d chicken out and be over-cautious. I probably overcompensated for that and just went for it.”

Amantle Montsho of Botswana was quickest of the 24 qualifiers in a time of 50.40 seconds.

ATHLETICS: MEN’S 1,500m

Ciarán Ó Lionáird’s disrupted season caught up with him in London last night, when he bowed out of the 1500 metres with a 13th place finish in the third and final heat.

The Leevale runner struggled for position throughout in what turned out to be the slowest of the heats and always looked troubled when trying to make up ground in the outside lanes.

The Corkman has been hampered by an Achilles injury this year and all the signs pointed to him falling short, but he did manage a season’s best of 3:48.35 despite the loss, though that time is a long way of his personal landmark of 3:34.36.

Ahead of him, New Zealand’s Nicholas Willis looked supremely comfortable and came home in a time of 3:40.92. Algeria’s Taoufik Makhloufi was quickest heading into the semi-finals after a time of 3:35.15.

CARL O’MALLEY