Competitive Day for Irish Team on Day 1 of IAAF World Athletics Championships - Moscow
This first day of action of nine at the 2013 IAAF World Athletics Championships in Moscow proved a challenging but generally encouraging one for Team Ireland's fist four competing athletes.
In the imposing and rather poorly attended Luzhniki Stadium this morning, Ireland's first two track athletes put their hopes and plans into action in the men's 800m heats.
The first of six heats in this traditionally highly competitive championship event featured Kildare's Paul Robinson (St Coca's AC, 22) who achieved the qualifying B standard time last month in Dublin at the Morton Games in running a fast new PB of 1.45.86.
The challenging qualification system for the semi-finals was the first three in each heat plus the six fastest losers on time from all six heats.
Heat 1 featured a strong field with the 2013 European number one Bosse of France and the experienced Polish 2010 European Champion Lewandowski among others.
Robinson got off to a cautious but solid start on the first lap, but was off the pace a bit by the time the bell was taken in a relatively slow 54.86, and had work to do to put himself in a challenging position on the crucial second lap. It was only at the 200m to go mark that the highly talented Robinson, who finished 4th over 1500m at last month's European U23 Championships, really got into his stride and utilised his speed and strength to pick off a couple of athletes in the home straight.
It was though too late this time to take one of the three automatic places up for grabs and Robinson finished in 6th position in 1.48.61, less than a second behind the French winner and highly fancied title challenger Pierre-Ambroise Bosse who took it in 1.47.70.
Paul Robinson:
"It's a different ball game at this level. It's a good eye opener, I may have gone off a little too conservatively and you can't let them get away from you at this level. I have made a breakthrough at 800m this season which I'm happy with but I have lots of work to do to mix it with the very best in the world. The conditions were fine, a bit humid but that wasn't a problem. I have four more races this season and I want to try and improve. The European 1500m final is my aim now for next year, and If I can keep improving as I am then I will be there or thereabouts."
In heat four, was UCD AC's Mark English (20) who has been in excellent form this season, running a new PB of 1.44.84 in London last month, the second fastest Irish run of all time for the two-lap event.
English's heat also had a highly-competitive field with the very in-form American Nick Symmonds (1.43.6 this season) leading the start list.
English got out well at the gun and was in contention at the bell but down the back straight may have let Symmonds and Balla (QAT) and three other athletes gain vital yards in what had been up to this point a tactical affair.
Coming into the home straight English was lying in 6th position and had ground to make up to give himself any chance of qualifying. With a marvellous turn of pace at the 80m to go mark, English stepped on the pedal and tore down the remaining meters to pass the Mexican and Zambian athletes and come real close to taking 3rd place on the line. In the event English had to settle for 4th place in 1.47.08, just outside an automatic spot but in with a chance for a fastest loser place.
After the remaining fifth and sixth heats had been run, the young Donegal man knew that he had missed out on a semi-final spot by just one place. This will be a real disappointment for English but he will also take solace in the fact he has the raw speed to mix it with best in the world in the years ahead.
Mark English:
"I'm gutted today, but there are positives to take away too. Maybe I left it a little too late but I finished well, and I felt super down the home straight. I knew I had work to do at the 250m point but I knew I could move in the last 100m, I wanted to leave something in the tank. I was nervous but that is normal, unless you're Usain Bolt. What's done is done here but I am going to move on. I am ambitious and I'm going to target the 800m European Championships next summer where I think I can medal if I can keep improving. The track was hot here and fast. It's been a good experience for me."
In the women's 400m heats this afternoon, Ireland's Jennifer Carey (DSD AC) was looking to continue her good form this season into her first senior world championship experience. Carey, 23, ran a swift and Irish leading 52.29 in the states earlier this season.
Drawn in the final heat 5 and in lane 4, Carey ran a gutsy and tactically smart race and gave it 100% throughout. Carey finished well to place 6th in her second fastest time of 52.62 and will be relatively pleased with her run against some more experienced athletes on the day. The race was won by the talented Botswana athlete Amantle Montsho in 50.75 seconds. Later Carey was upgraded to 5th place due to the disqualification of another athlete, but this was not enough on the day to permit the American born Carey to progress to the semis at these her maiden championships.
Jennifer Carey:
"I'm not too disappointed with that run as it was the second fastest time of my career to date, and I managed to hold onto 4th place for the majority of the race. It's encouraging and I'm looking forward to just keep improving on the international stage."
The women's marathon proved an exciting race and a last 5km duel between the defending champion Kiplagat of Kenya and the Italian Straneo, the latter who had made the key break earlier in the 26.2 mile challenge. In the end the gold went to the Kenyan in a fast 2.25.44 after breaking away from the Italian before entering the stadium. Straneo though was arguably the heroine on the day and was delighted with her silver medal performance and a season's best time.
It was disappointment though for Ireland's Maria McCambridge (DSD AC, 38), who had real ambitions to put in a solid performance here in Moscow after setting a new PB last October of 2.35.28 in the Dublin Marathon. After about 7km in Moscow, McCambridge was unfortunately forced to withdraw from the race due to injury.
Irish Results from Day 1 of IAAF World Championships, Moscow.
Men's 800m
Heat 1: 1. P-A Bosse (FRA) 1.47.70 2. M Lewandowski (POL) 1.47.83 3. G Benedetti (ITA) 1.47.90 6. P Robinson (IRL) 1.48.61
Heat 4: 1. N Symmonds (USA) 1.46.90 2. M-A Balla (QAT) 1.46.94 3. S Jamma (MAR) 1.46.94 4. M English (IRL) 1.47.08
Women's 400m
Heat 5: 1. A Montsho (BOT) 50.75 2. R George (NGR) 51.01 3. P Hall (JAM) 52.20 6. J Carey (IRL) 52.62
Women's Marathon
1. E-N Kiplagat (KEN) 2.25.44 2. V Straneo (ITA) 2.25.58 3. K Fukushi (JPN) 2.27.45 M McCambridge (IRL) DNF
Irish athletes in action on Day 2 (Irish Time)
Brian Gregan in heats of men's 400m at 8.05am
Tori Pena in women's Pole Vault Q at 16.10pm.