Little to smile about for Irish in Daegu

Athletics: Usain Bolt wasn't the only one to fall foul of the starter's pistol in Daegu this morning, with Ireland's Joanne Cuddihy also jumping the gun in the 400m semi-final having run a season's best yesterday to get there.

Cuddihy’s 51.82 in Saturday’s heats improved the 52.15 she’d run in Santry earlier this month, and earned her an automatic qualifying spot for the semi-finals. Yet there was no excuse for her false-start yesterday, which forced her to watch from the

trackside as Amantle Montsho from Botswana took the win in 50.13.

“I can’t blame anyone but myself for the false start” said Cuddihy, adding that she will “now turn my focus to the 4x400m relay for redemption”.

Fionnuala Britton came close to making the final of the 3,000 metres steeplechase, finishing sixth in heat in 9:41.17, but in the end that left her just one place short of a progressing as one of the fastest losers.

Stephanie O’Reilly, competing in her first World Championships, finished eighth in her heat in a time of 9:55.49 and admitted afterwards the high humidity was difficult to contend with.

A first World Championships too for double Paralympics sprint champion Jason Smyth but he too will be a little disappointed with his performance after finishing fifth in his 100 metres heat in 10.57, albeit into a -1.7 headwind.

It was well outside his personal best of 10.22, which he set this year, and not enough for progress to semis.

Pole-vaulter Tori Pena also missed out on qualification. Despite improving her Irish record six times this season to 4.40 metres, she managed 4.10 metres in her group, ending up last of the 16 to clear a height.

Marian Heffernan has returned to Daegu and will take her place in the women’s 400 metre relay later this week. Heffernan, who is married to race walker Rob Heffernan, returned to Ireland over the weekend to attend the funeral of her mother in law.