BEN REYNOLDS, IRELAND’S last remaining competitor at this year’s IAAF World Indoor Championships, failed to qualify from his 60m hurdles semi-final this afternoon.
Running from lane two, the 21-year-old from County Down finished seventh in the first semi-final, won by Liu Xiang of China in 7.53 seconds.
Reynolds’ time of 7.80 was 0.02 seconds faster than his qualifying time in yesterday’s heats, but still 0.06 short of his indoor personal best.
The three-day meet in Istanbul was Reynolds’ first taste of a major international competition and, speaking to Will Downing after the race, he remained upbeat despite today’s disappointment.
“In terms of the whole situation, I can take home a lot of experience which I gained. It’s invaluable and I’ve got a real feel for these international events. That alone makes it more than worth it.
“The time’s really underwhelming and I’m in much better shape than that. Usually I’d be very disappointed with that kind of performance, but there are positives to take away from it.”
