Gillick bolts into final

THEY DUBBED it The Power Hour and little did we realise two of them would extend it into world history. David Gillick into the World 400 metres final. First Irish athlete ever. Followed by Derval O’Rourke in the 100 metres hurdles final. First Irish athlete ever – and ending up fourth in the world. Okay, Paul Hession didn’t make the 200 metres final, but two firsts out of three ain’t bad.

O’Rourke surprised us. Gillick had promised us. Still, the 26-year-old Dubliner always said it was going to be damn tough to make tomorrow’s 400 metres final, and so it proved. Running the first of three semi-finals, with only the top two certain of progressing, Gillick produced the third fastest time of his career, a superb 44.88.

Still, that only got him up to fourth – after he passed Ramon Miller of the Bahamas in the final strides. America’s two-time champion Jeremy Wariner took the win in 44.69, and so began the nervous wait to see if Gillick would get in as one of the two fastest losers.

Third in the next semi-final was 44.93, and once the last semi-final was won in 44.95, Gillick was through. The Power Hour was under way.

“It was such a long wait though,” he said. “But I’m just over the moon.” Probably a couple of times, actually.

“I knew had to get out and run the arse off myself. Once the gun goes, get out and run. And I managed to do that, got out fast. When I came into the home straight we were all together and I kind of panicked a little bit, tightened up. I was just thinking in my head stay relaxed and I’ll come through, and I did.

“Initially I thought my time was .93. I couldn’t see the screen, and then I was thinking, oh, nine-something, that’s not going to be enough.

“To be honest I didn’t think of times. It’s not about times now, it’s about who you beat. I think 44.88 didn’t make the final in Osaka so I think I gave myself a great opportunity by running 44.88. But then I could have run that and come fifth in my semi-final.”

So he’ll run tomorrow’s final, in lane two, with nothing to prove and everything to gain. The Americans Wariner and LaShawn Merritt are in a class of their own. But after that?

“I don’t care,” he added.” I’ve gone out this summer and run the legs off myself, run a national record, run under 45 for the first time and run it for the third time today and got myself in a world championship final. I don’t care what happens, I don’t care that people go on about medals blah, blah, I’m in the top eight in the world. I’m just going to go out and enjoy it.”

Hession was enjoying another fine season but there was no hiding his disappointment after coming sixth in his semi-final, missing tonight’s final against one Usain Bolt by just two places. Hession’s 20.48 was well down on American Wallace Spearmon’s 20.14, and he would have needed to improve his Irish record of 20.30 to go through.

How close did it feel? “Not that close,” he admitted, with typical honesty. “I was two-tenths off making the final, which is more than I thought I would be. So I don’t know.

“It was everything I had today. It’s just not enough. But it’s very disappointing because I thought this was my year. I really did. I just feel that every year is the same at the moment. They’re all good. But not very good.

“But I don’t think I was ever in a good position. But I don’t know what I could have done differently. It’s just like Beijing. I did my best. I think this season, again, I was very good. I’ve come off the track after giving it my best, but still I’m really disappointed.

“But it’s the same thing I lacked last year. I’m just not good enough to make the next step. This was the Power Hour, as Derval’s been calling it all day. I didn’t live up to my end. I’m the nearly man still. But I’ll get there eventually.”

That’s the thing with World Championship sprinting. All your hopes and dreams can be realised or else ended in an instant.