IRELAND’S LAUREN ROY is targetting the Women’s 60m national record, having progressed to the semi-finals at the World Indoor Championships in Toruń, Poland.
But there was another disappointing near miss for Mark English on the biggest stage after finishing fourth in a madcap Men’s 800m semi-final.
The Donegal veteran led at the bell but faded in the burn-up, clocking 1:46.70 as he just missed out on reaching his first-ever global final.
Just the top two qualified, with Australia’s Peter Bol winning in 1:46.21 and Allon Tatsunami Clay of Japan joining him.
English was fifth at halfway, making his move around 500m and hitting the front after tangling with Ben Pattison. The five-time European medallist powered on, and held the lead with one 200m lap to go, but was eventually picked off.
He dug deep amidst carnage down the home straight, but Bol – who steered clear of the earlier trouble – came out on top.
Mark English won his heat yesterday. Morgan Treacy / INPHO
Morgan Treacy / INPHO / INPHO
Earlier in the Women’s 60m heats, Roy advanced as the third fastest qualifier, after clocking 7.25 seconds and finishing fourth.
Ciara Neville was also fourth in her heat, but her time of 7.31 seconds wasn’t enough for the Limerick sprinter to prevail on her international return.
Having ran in heat two, Ballymena native Roy faced a nervous wait in the three fastest qualifier spots, but her progression was confirmed after the seventh heat. She squeezed through by 0.001 of a second.
“Obviously it wasn’t ideal having to wait and wait and wait for every heat to go,” Roy told Virgin Media. “That was almost more nerve-wracking than being in the blocks, but we made it, thank God. I’m delighted.
“The race felt good. I had a great start. I think my main thing to work on is my transition, but coming to a my first world indoor champs and being able to put a race together like that that Lauren last year would have dreamed of was great.”
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It continues a fine indoor season for the America-based 25-year-old. Roy has been building up an impressive body of work on the NCAA circuit with Tarleton State University in Texas, recently clocking a personal best of 7.19 seconds.
She is now eyeing Rhasidat Adeleke’s 60m indoor national record of 7.15 seconds in this evening’s semi-finals, which get underway at 7.14pm Irish time.
“I think a national record is on the line, for sure. I’m definitely capable of another 7.1 or faster. Today is the day, why not?”
Neville, meanwhile, couldn’t hide her disappointment. Bettering her personal best of 7.26 seconds was her target, having beaten Roy to the gold medal at national championships earlier this month.
“I’m disappointed with it, I won’t lie,” the 26-year-old told Virgin Media’s Will Dalton trackside.
“I came here and I wanted to really nail the first race, set it off with a PB. I thought I got out well, I was away from all the action (in the inside lane) so it was just solely on myself to run the race, with no one to push me. I mean I’ve ran fast on my own before. I’m disappointed, I’m not gonna lie.”
Ciara Neville reacts. Morgan Treacy / INPHO
Morgan Treacy / INPHO / INPHO
The 26-year-old did take some solace on her long-awaited return to the world stage after a serious hamstring injury hampered her promising progress.
“This is my first individual major championship in five years. The aim of the whole season was to get here but I really wanted to put down a fast time in these heats. I’m disappointed that I wasn’t able to do that today.”
Later, Maeve O’Neill bowed out of the Women’s 800m semi-finals after finishing sixth in 2:02.46.
Having initially finished outside the qualification places in yesterday’s heats, O’Neill was subsequently upgraded to second due to a disqualification. The Cork 22-year-old clocked 2:03.20 on her senior international debut, and she bettered that in bonus territory this morning.
“It went out pretty hard and I was just doing my best to hang on. There was nothing else I could do really, just do my best,” said O’Neill, also US-based at Providence College in Rhode Island.
“The aim was to make semi-finals so everything today was a bonus, that’s what I was kind of saying in my head. I just wanted to put two good races back to back, and I feel like I did that.”
“How to stay cool under pressure,” was the most valuable lesson she learned on the biggest stage: “A lot of the girls I’m racing against I’ve watched for years, so it’s different to be racing those people. It’s trying to get into the mindset that you’re as good as them.”
“It’s a season I’m not gonna forget. It’s been excellent,” O’Neill added, having set a new national record (2:00.33) in Boston.
Andrew Coscoran and Nick Griggs go into the Men’s 3000m final at 6.22pm this evening (Irish time).
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Lauren Roy progresses as Mark English misses out on 800m final at World Indoors
LAST UPDATE | 2 hrs ago
IRELAND’S LAUREN ROY is targetting the Women’s 60m national record, having progressed to the semi-finals at the World Indoor Championships in Toruń, Poland.
But there was another disappointing near miss for Mark English on the biggest stage after finishing fourth in a madcap Men’s 800m semi-final.
The Donegal veteran led at the bell but faded in the burn-up, clocking 1:46.70 as he just missed out on reaching his first-ever global final.
Just the top two qualified, with Australia’s Peter Bol winning in 1:46.21 and Allon Tatsunami Clay of Japan joining him.
English was fifth at halfway, making his move around 500m and hitting the front after tangling with Ben Pattison. The five-time European medallist powered on, and held the lead with one 200m lap to go, but was eventually picked off.
He dug deep amidst carnage down the home straight, but Bol – who steered clear of the earlier trouble – came out on top.
Earlier in the Women’s 60m heats, Roy advanced as the third fastest qualifier, after clocking 7.25 seconds and finishing fourth.
Ciara Neville was also fourth in her heat, but her time of 7.31 seconds wasn’t enough for the Limerick sprinter to prevail on her international return.
Having ran in heat two, Ballymena native Roy faced a nervous wait in the three fastest qualifier spots, but her progression was confirmed after the seventh heat. She squeezed through by 0.001 of a second.
“Obviously it wasn’t ideal having to wait and wait and wait for every heat to go,” Roy told Virgin Media. “That was almost more nerve-wracking than being in the blocks, but we made it, thank God. I’m delighted.
“The race felt good. I had a great start. I think my main thing to work on is my transition, but coming to a my first world indoor champs and being able to put a race together like that that Lauren last year would have dreamed of was great.”
It continues a fine indoor season for the America-based 25-year-old. Roy has been building up an impressive body of work on the NCAA circuit with Tarleton State University in Texas, recently clocking a personal best of 7.19 seconds.
She is now eyeing Rhasidat Adeleke’s 60m indoor national record of 7.15 seconds in this evening’s semi-finals, which get underway at 7.14pm Irish time.
Neville, meanwhile, couldn’t hide her disappointment. Bettering her personal best of 7.26 seconds was her target, having beaten Roy to the gold medal at national championships earlier this month.
“I’m disappointed with it, I won’t lie,” the 26-year-old told Virgin Media’s Will Dalton trackside.
“I came here and I wanted to really nail the first race, set it off with a PB. I thought I got out well, I was away from all the action (in the inside lane) so it was just solely on myself to run the race, with no one to push me. I mean I’ve ran fast on my own before. I’m disappointed, I’m not gonna lie.”
The 26-year-old did take some solace on her long-awaited return to the world stage after a serious hamstring injury hampered her promising progress.
“This is my first individual major championship in five years. The aim of the whole season was to get here but I really wanted to put down a fast time in these heats. I’m disappointed that I wasn’t able to do that today.”
Later, Maeve O’Neill bowed out of the Women’s 800m semi-finals after finishing sixth in 2:02.46.
Having initially finished outside the qualification places in yesterday’s heats, O’Neill was subsequently upgraded to second due to a disqualification. The Cork 22-year-old clocked 2:03.20 on her senior international debut, and she bettered that in bonus territory this morning.
“It went out pretty hard and I was just doing my best to hang on. There was nothing else I could do really, just do my best,” said O’Neill, also US-based at Providence College in Rhode Island.
“How to stay cool under pressure,” was the most valuable lesson she learned on the biggest stage: “A lot of the girls I’m racing against I’ve watched for years, so it’s different to be racing those people. It’s trying to get into the mindset that you’re as good as them.”
“It’s a season I’m not gonna forget. It’s been excellent,” O’Neill added, having set a new national record (2:00.33) in Boston.
Andrew Coscoran and Nick Griggs go into the Men’s 3000m final at 6.22pm this evening (Irish time).
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