ATHLETICS: Now more than ever the future of Irish athletics lies with our sprinters. In Birmingham yesterday the new generation of speed merchants started the World Indoor Championships carrying most Irish hopes, and most of them delivered with surprising ease.

Six Irish athletes were on the track for the 200 and 400 metres heats, and five of them progressed to semi-finals. Normally that statistic is the other way around. And two of those, Paul McKee and David McCarthy, compete in this afternoon's 400 metre semi-finals as the first Irishmen to progress that far in the event on the World Indoor stage.

It wasn't all about new trends, though. James Nolan was running his first indoor 1,500 metres in over a year but surpassed most expectations - probably even his own - to make today's final. Fifth in the second of three heats, Nolan ran three minutes 40.85 seconds to qualify as the third fastest loser. And a medal in the final (at 6.10 p.m.) is not totally beyond his reach.

The defending champion, Rui Silva, didn't even make it that far. The Portuguese runner was caught in the bunch finish in heat one and took third in 3:48.41, missing out on the final by .02 of a second.

Sprinters normally have to worry about those fractions of a second, yet Gary Ryan and Paul Brizzel passed through the heats of the 200 metres without needing to look at the clock, with both men taking second and thus guaranteeing progression.

Later in the evening they were back on track for the three semi-finals, where only the two-top finishers would earn a place in the final. Ryan took third in 21.13 seconds, as did Brizzel in his race in 20.96 seconds, but neither athlete had any regrets.

Rather their efforts were so total that Ryan reckoned he'd pulled a hamstring. Brizzel was also happy with the experience. With McKee and McCarthy now thinking about semi-finals, plus Ryan's injury, it means the Irish 400-metres relay team are likely to withdraw from today's heats.

The good sprinting vibes had started in early morning with Ciara Sheehy, who continues to climb the ladder of women's 200 metres running. Although the heats took place at the ungodly time for sprinters of 9.15 a.m., Sheehy cruised around the one lap in 23.46 seconds - taking second and so went straight into the semi-final.

Several hours later she was back on track for the semi-finals, again with only the top-two progressing. Unfortunately for the 22-year-old, alongside her was Juliet Campbell of Jamaica, the defending champion, and American Michelle Collins, the fastest in the world this season.

So while Collins and Campbell surprised no one and went on to the final, Sheehy still ran hard to take third, clocking 23.23 seconds - just marginally outside her Irish record.

"A year ago if you have put me in that race I would have froze in the starting blocks," she said afterwards. "So I think I'm making the progression, and starting to break through."

Surprisingly, the one Irish sprinter who didn't progress beyond her opening heat was Karen Shinkins. As the European Indoor bronze medallist over 400 metres from a year ago this sort of competition was hardly beyond her capability, and yet on this occasion it proved exactly that.

Running in the second of five heats, Shinkins never hit full stride. Again only a top-two finish would ensure qualification, but she took third in 53.59 seconds - a full two seconds slower than her best. Part of her excuse was that indoor running is important, but never as important as the outdoor season.

"I suppose I'm not as disappointed as I normally would be," she said. "To be honest I just didn't trust my form here, and didn't want to go out too fast. But I have turned things around this season and put everything into outdoors."

For McKee and McCarthy, the indoor season is a similar stepping-stone to outdoor 400 metres running - but they weren't letting the opportunity in Birmingham slip. McKee had a few physical encounters in heat two, and eventually took third in 46.68 seconds. But second-placed Davien Clarke of Jamaica was disqualified for barging, and so the Belfast athlete progressed.

At 19, McCarthy was making the giant leap to senior championship 400 metres running for the first time. And what a landing, taking second to Britain's former world indoor champion, Jamie Baulch, in 46.69 seconds.

"It was just a case of pulling myself over that line," he said. There's no predicting now what the Leixlip athlete can do in this afternoon's semi-final, and as for the rest of his long career. . .

The final Irish athlete on the track last night was Maria McCambridge, going over 3,000 metres. Despite running bravely for the 15 laps she finished seventh in heat two, clocking a personal best of 9:03.63 - but missing a place in today's final as a fastest loser by just over two tenths of a second.