Thomas Barr (Ferrybank AC) and Andrew Coscoran (Star of the Sea AC) both ran impressively to qualify for the Semi Finals in the 400m Hurdles and 1500m respectively on Day Two of the World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon.
Barr was the only Irish athlete in action in the morning session and running from lane 8 got out hard and battled well up the home straight to secure automatic qualification to the next round by finishing second in his heat in a new Seasons Best of 49.15s. The heat was won by Estonia’s Rasmus Magi.
The Waterford man will have been delighted with his performance in what was only his fifth race this season. He is the fourth fastest qualifier to the next round but will know he will need to go faster to qualify for the final.
Barr returns to the track early on Monday morning (Irish Time) with the semi-finals set to get underway at 2.03pm.
World record holder Karsten Warholm qualified for the final winning his heat in 49.34s. Rai Benjamin (USA), Alison dos Santos (Brazil) and Khallifah Rosser (USA) were the other heat winners.
Coscoran was the sole Irish athlete in action in the evening session and executed his race perfectly. The Balbriggan man finished strongly crossing the line in third in a new Seasons Best of 3.36.36 to automatically qualify for the Semi-Final which like Barr’s next outing is scheduled to get underway early on Monday morning (Irish Time) at 3am.
Australia’s Oliver Hoare won the heat, followed by Ethiopian Samuel Tefera. Reigning World Champion Timothy Cheruiyot of Kenya, Charles Grethen of Luxembourg and Britain’s Neil Gourley also qualified automatically for the semi-finals.
Three other Irish athletes will also be competing tomorrow. Chris O’Donnell (North Sligo AC) goes in the sixth and last heat of the Men’s 400m at 7:45pm Irish Time. He has been drawn in Lane 8. O’Donnell is joined in the heat by talented Brit Matthew Hudson-Smith and Dominican Lidio Andres Feliz. The Sligo man has the third fastest Seasons Best in the field, with the top three qualifying to the semi-finals automatically along with six fastest losers.
Sophie Becker (Raheny Shamrocks AC) and Rhasidat Adeleke (Tallaght AC) compete in Heat 3 and 4 of the Women’s 400m. Becker will race from Lane 8, with Charokee Young of Jamaica being the only sub 50s athlete in her race. Adeleke, who will hopefully have recovered from the illness which kept her out of the 4x400m Mixed Relay final, will go from Lane 2. Dominican Marileidy Paulino and American Lynna Irby are the two athletes in the field with faster Seasons Bests than Adeleke. The first three in each heat advance along with six fastest losers. Becker’s race is at 8.16pm Irish Time, with Adeleke’s starting at 8.24pm Irish Time.
The World Athletics Championships is broadcast live on BBC TV and live streamed on World Athletics YouTube
