Gillick in complete control

TWO THINGS: discipline in the blocks, then control it. If it really is that simple, David Gillick now has every chance of claiming the 400 metres medal he craves.

That’s not saying it’s going to be easy. What is certain is that tomorrow’s final is essential viewing.

On a night of mixed emotions for the Irish athletes in the old Olympic Stadium, Gillick’s show of confidence in winning his semi-final in 44.79 seconds – just .02 off his Irish record – was in some ways matched by Jason Smyth’s continued coolness in mixing it with the finest European sprinters in the business. The Paralympic athlete bowed out in his 100 metres semi-final, finishing fourth in 10.46 seconds, but was once again the centre of media attention afterwards. Truth is he may not have got as much plaudits had he later won the gold medal outright.

What Gillick did in progressing to his final was nothing more than he expected. “It was very important that I carried that out this evening,” he said. “I mean, I felt I’d the right to be in that final. I’ve done consistently well over this year, last year. I’ve worked too hard over the winter to let all this slip by. Punched that bag so many times.

“My coach, Nick Dakin, just said those two things. Discipline in the blocks. Then control it. It’s always good to get under 45 seconds as well. That’s important from a confidence point of view.”

Equally important is that Gillick’s time earned him a prime slot for tomorrow: lane four, with Jonathan Borlee on his inside, the young Belgian who must now start as marginal favourite given he improved his national record to 44.71 to win the first semi-final.

Britain’s Michael Bingham also looked good in qualifying second to Gillick, but is drawn in lane eight, while the other Borlee twin, Kevin – who won the third semi-final in 45.32 – will start in lane six. Gordon Kennedy missed out when finishing eighth in 46.72.

“Because I was on the outside here it was very important that I ran my own race,” added Gillick. “So it was important that I stayed as relaxed as possible, carried it strong down the back stretch and make a bit of a move at 200 metres. All I needed to do was stay relaxed. If you let it flow you’ll actually move quicker.”

Indeed Gillick finished brilliantly, affording himself a quick punch of the air – and all thoughts now switch to the final: “Yeah, I’d like to say there’s a little more in the tank,” he added. “But when the gun goes it’s just run. Run at your fear, and run over it.”

Whatever fears Smyth might have had in starting alongside the likes of Christophe Lemaitre certainly didn’t show, but then the 23-year-old Derry sprinter reminded us that he has been training with a certain Tyson Gay.

There’s no measuring the true impact Smyth made on these championships, beyond the history that he made, mainly because he’s been so laid back about it.

“If you’d said last year, or the year before, that I’d have done so well here I’d never have guessed it. It’s been special, yeah. I’ve learnt so much. But I’m not really getting caught up in the whole Paralympic thing. It’s nice there’s a lot of interest, but generally, I just let people say what they want to say.

“Obviously I am a Paralympic athlete, but I’m also trying to move forward as a mainstream, senior international sprinter, to qualify for the London Olympics.”

Joanne Cuddihy fell short of making the 400 metres final, running 52.58 in fourth, but earlier, Cork’s Ailis McSweeney reached this evening’s 100 metres semi-finals, running 11.52 for fourth – and made it clear what that meant.

“I needed to make that semi-final, big time. It was the difference between being an also-ran, and really pushing on. Because this was a make-or-break year. I took time off work for the Europeans, to try to qualify, to do well, or go stick to the day job forever and forever. So this means everything.”

Fionnuala Britton also made it through to tomorrow’s 3,000 metres steeplechase final with a typically gutsy run, finishing sixth in 9:44.84, and credited that partly to a three-month training spell in Kenya. Stephanie O’Reilly missed out in the other semi-final, finishing 10th in 10:13.94.

And there was no joy for Tori Pena, who had three narrow misses at 4.15 metres in the pole vault.

Yet by far the most disappointed Irish athlete on the track last night was Thomas Chamney. In fourth place coming into the homestretch of the 1,500 metres, and poised to qualify for the final, Chamney was visibly weakening, and indeed passed by five men in the closing metres to clock 3:43.60. A head cold in recent days had clearly damped his form, and he was taken to the medical tent immediately afterwards with reported stomach problems.

The fear is he may have caught a similar bug to Olive Loughnane – and we know how upsetting that was to her race.