ATHLETICS: When it comes to 400-metre running your chances really can depend on the luck of the (lane) draw.

No Irishman has made an outdoor European 400-metre final, and the opportunity may have come a little too early for Gillick.

He is, of course, the reigning European indoor champion, but at 23, with a best of 45.67 seconds, he possibly lacks the experience and maturity to book one of the eight lanes in tomorrow evening's final. That's not to say it's beyond him.

Shortly after noon yesterday, with the warm Scandinavian sun beating down on the Ullevi Stadium, Gillick displayed plenty of class and confidence when posting second in his heat. His time of 46.16 seconds ranked him 13th after all four heats were completed, though his placing, as expected, earned him another good lane for this evening's semi-finals. This time number five came up, the perfect draw.

Gillick also knows exactly what he needs to do; the first four in each semi-final progress - no fastest losers, no second chances. He's in good company though; all seven of his opponents have run faster than him. He has France's Leslie Djhone outside him, who has run 44.64, and Britain's Tim Benjamin inside him, who has run 44.56.

Still, Gillick looked strong yesterday. Running in lane four, the young Dubliner always knew what was going on around him and was just beaten by Benjamin, who ran 46.10.

"When I first saw the lane draws it kind of hit me that this was going to be harder than I thought," he said later. "On paper I was third-fastest, but I wanted to do better than that, because that would have meant a poor lane in the next round. So I was going for second spot, knowing that Benjamin is coming into good shape.

"Of course, you have to take each round as it comes, but you have to think ahead a little too if you do want to get a good lane draw for the semi-final. About 150 metres to go I realised we were all in a line, but I felt quite calm and had time to take a look. So I moved again, slapped it up into fifth gear, and was actually quite surprised that I had that much in the tank. Sometimes you don't know if that's there. So I was happy I was able to put in the effort when I needed it."

There's little doubt Gillick will have to run faster than ever before to make the final, but he's relaxed and feeling good: "I was just looking forward to getting out there and running. We've been sitting around the last couple of days just waiting, and I don't like that. So it was great to get out here . . . in a great atmosphere, lovely weather, all that.

"It's going to be very tough, obviously. Looking at the third heat there, they all finished in a line, and that speaks volumes about the strength in depth of this event in Europe. I know on paper I'm not meant to be in the final, but I feel good and I'll give it my all now to get there."

What a contrast, though, in the lane draw for McKee, the only one of the 33 entrants forced into the usually unused ninth lane. He still ran courageously to finish fifth, clocking 46.48. But with only three sure of progressing, the Belfastman had to wait for word on the four fastest losers. He ended up joint-fifth-fastest.

"I'd never run in lane nine before," he said. "I wouldn't have minded lane eight too much; at least I've run in that before. No one seemed to know they were even using lane nine, and they only brought the blocks out at the last minute. Then I had all the heptathletes practising for the high jump in front of me. I mean in between 'on your marks' and 'get set', I actually had Eunice Barber (the French heptathlete) standing in front of me. Which was a joke, really."

Given a better draw, McKee probably would have made it. Marcin Marciniszyn of Poland was the fourth-fastest loser, in 46.36. McKee has run 45.58, and 45.96 this season.

David McCarthy had no real excuse, though, after finishing sixth in the final heat, clocking 46.53 - his fastest time in two years. He was next in line for qualification after McKee. "That much," said McCarthy, clicking fingers to suggest how close it was.

"But I didn't get a good start to the season, being injured in June, and I don't know where I could have gone any quicker."

The women one-lap specialists take to the track this morning, Joanne Cuddihy going in heat four. Her best of 51.28 ranks her second-fastest in her heat this season, yet she's fared only marginally better than McKee, and gets to run in lane eight. That's the luck of the (lane) draw.