Again, Barr had to rely on a late spurt from the outside lane 9, as he was lying sixth past the bend, but still produced the second fastest-time from that outside lane at a World Championships.
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The glare of publicity on this year’s 100m will surely intensify after twice-banned Justin Gatlin clocked the fastest time in the opening round of 9.83 seconds, with defending champion Usain Bolt recording the third-slowest winning mark of 9.96 in a three-quarters-speed pace. I was talking to the American Erik Sowinski after and he felt the same way. English was unlucky as he was drawn in what turned out to be the fastest semi final.
IRISH ATHLETES Mark English and Thomas Barr both missed out on World Championship final place in their respective events in Beijing today.
Barr also fell short of his ambition to become the first Irishman to reach the final of the 400m hurdles, finishing fourth in his semi-final, clocking 48.71 seconds.
“Unfortunately I’m out at the semi-finals of my first World Championships”.
Second-fastest time Barr’s time was the second fastest of the season, and not far off his Irish record of 48.65, although it still wasn’t enough to see him through as one of the two fastest losers.
“As the stagger unwound fully then, I just didn’t have as much of a fast and aggressive kick as usual, but I had a much better race than yesterday. I knew if I ran 1:44 I’d get through, but it wasn’t out there today”.
“It was actually easier than the heat because I was focusing on running splits, trying to run 52 flat through 400m”.
Jessica Ennis-Hill took advantage of Katarina Johnson-Thompson suffering three fouls and scoring no points in the long jump to rout the opposition in her comeback heptathlon.
Joe Kovacs of the USA won the men’s shot putt, with Poland’s Pawel Fawdek retaining the men’s hammer crown.
Alex Wright was disqualified during the men’s 20k wallk, where victory went to Spain’s Miguel Angel Lopez.
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The Ferrybank AC hurdler from Waterford has the fourth-fastest season’s best in his heat, where the first four and next four fastest losers will all qualify for tomorrow’s semis.
