Gillick must be patient to strike for the gold

ATHLETICS WORLD INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS:SOME OF you may want to turn away from the rugby for about 45 seconds this afternoon, and tune-in – by whatever means – to Doha, Qatar. Win or lose, David Gillick is going to be part of a perfectly stormy World Indoor 400 metres final, and if Gillick can manage what is a difficult lane draw, then there's every reason to believe he can win. If only they could pause proceedings in Croke Park, because this really shouldn't be missed.

Twice yesterday Gillick did all he needed to do to come through the qualifying rounds, although it was his semi-final duel with the American Bershawn Jackson that proved most interesting. Jackson got the win, just about, and was rewarded with the favourable outside lane for this afternoon’s final (3.05 Irish time, live on Setanta Ireland, RTÉ radio and also audio on www.iaaf.org). Gillick, who by finishing second missed out on seeding, will start in the unfavourable lane three.

“It is all about lanes in this event,” said Gillick, “so I have to be a little disappointed. I actually thought I had him in the last few metres. I very nearly had him. Jackson just hung on. But he’s a good athlete.”

Truth is Gillick was a little fortunate to finish at all given he nearly fell at the busy halfway junction in the two-lap race. With Jackson leading, Gillick tried to move into a small gap that opened in front of him, but Jackson quickly closed it – and held on from there to take the win in 46.13 seconds, out-dipping Gillick, who finished in 46.15.

“Unfortunately, when Jackson chopped my stride, that put me back two metres,” explained Gillick. “I was lucky not to clip him. And I had to go again. But I closed it again, and I still felt strong.

“But look, it’s a World final, I’m in good shape, and I know I’m in there with a shout. Jackson is a talented athlete, but I know I can mix it with him.”

It won’t, of course, be a two-man race. Chris Brown of the Bahamas, who also likes to dominate from the front, won the second semi-final in 46.64, and will start in lane five, with the other American, Jamaal Torrance, who clocked 46.69 behind Brown, in lane four. William Collazo of Cuba and Nery Brenes of Costa Rica complete the line-up.

Gillick’s tactics may be altered by this lane draw, in that he may need to be more restrained, and see how the race unfolds. Jackson, Brown and Torrance will more than likely break ahead of him given the wider curvature of their outside lanes, and if Gillick is to win he’ll need to call on all his strength and speed over the final 150 metres. But he does have the beating of Jackson, who is actually a 400-metre hurdles specialist, and if he matches the 45.52 he ran in Birmingham last month then Gillick may well beat the lot.

Ireland’s other 400-metre entrant Brian Gregan came close to making the semi-final – missing out by .08 seconds when clocking 47.26. It was still an impressive debut for the 20 year-old, who was by no means out his depth.

“I thought when I looked at the clock that I might hang on to the last qualifying spot,” he said. “But it’s very difficult to make it, with only two semi-finals. Now I am going to focus on the relay, and just hope that goes well.”

There was better news for Claire Brady as she progressed to tomorrow’s semi-finals of the 60 metres, running 7.43 to qualify as the best of the fastest losers.

Deirdre Byrne ran a personal best of 8:58.94 in the 3,000 metres, but was two places outside qualifying, while Hazel Murphy finished ninth in her heat, running 9:17:60. Rose Anne Galligan and Kelly McNiece-Reid exited in the heats of the 1,500 metres, Galligan finishing seventh in 4.17.04, and McNiece in 4:16.26.

David McCarthy was eliminated in the 800 metres heats, finishing fourth in his heat in 1.51.88.

In the high jump, Deirdre Ryan jumped 1.85 metres on her second attempt, but failed at 1.89 metres and thus missed her final as well.