IRELAND’S PHIL HEALY has qualified for the semi-final of the 400m at the World Indoor Championships in Birmingham.
The Bandon runner finished 3rd in her heat with a time of 52.75, and so qualifies as a fastest loser.
Healy led Heat 5 at 200m, but was passed by eventual winner Stephenie Ann McPherson (Jamaica) and Eilidh Doyle (Great Britain) in the closing stages. She showed true grit and determination to hold on though, and progress to the next stage.
“If I didn’t get to the bell first I knew it was going to cost me,” she told Athletics Ireland afterwards.
“The first-ever Irish (woman) to get into the 400m World semi-final. I was coming taking it round by round. Ticked the first box. I’m happy with the way I ran out there today and put myself out there, so take it on now to the semi-final.”
The in-form Healy has enjoyed a strong indoor season filled with glittering performances to date, and will be hoping to carry that through to the World semi-final stage tonight.
.@philhealy2 on becoming the first Irish woman to advance to a world 400m semi-final indoors #IAAFWorlds pic.twitter.com/VIOxKZlDwb
— Athletics Ireland (@irishathletics) March 2, 2018
Earlier this morning, sprint duo Ciara Neville and Amy Foster missed out on semi-final places in the 60m.
City of Lisburn’s Foster was fifth in her heat in 7.35 seconds, while 18-year-old Neville finished seventh in hers.
European bronze medalist and Olympian Ciara Mageean’s 1500m heat is this evening.
2 March – Evening session
- Ciara Mageean (UCD) – Women’s 1500m heat 7:58pm
- Phil Healy (Bandon) – Women’s 400m semi-final 8:32pm
Results
60m heat 1
- 7th Ciara Neville (Emerald) 7.47
60m heat 2
- 5th Amy Foster (City of Lisburn) 7.35
400m heat 5
- 3rd Phil Healy (Bandon) 52.75
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