Thomas Barr produced a time just six-hundredths of a second outside his Irish record, but still bowed out of the men’s 400m hurdles at the semi-final stage at the World Athletics Championships in Beijing.
The customary late surge was there for the Waterford athlete from Ferrybank AC, but the World Universities champion could only come fourth in his semi-final, keeping him in the second and final fastest-loser spot, but ultimately he would be fourth-fastest loser, seeing him eliminated.
Again, Barr had to rely on a late spurt from the outside lane 9, as he was lying sixth past the bend, but still produced the second fastest-time from that outside lane at a World Championships.
His next focus will be on improving his work on the final turn.
Boniface Tumuti of Kenya won Barr’s heat in 48.29 seconds, with Kerron Clement of the USA second in 48.50 – both qualifying automatically for Tuesday’s final.
Barr’s time of 48.71 was marginally outside his national record of 48.71, but he will now focus on the 4x400m relay later this week.
“Unfortunately I’m out at the semi-finals of my first World Championships.
“It was a very tough race, I felt it was a good race.
“Coming onto the home straight, I could hear the Jamaican inside of me coming up on me but I knew I was somewhat in contention.
“As the stagger unwound fully then, I just didn’t have as much of a fast and aggressive kick as usual, but I had a much better race than yesterday.
“Running blind from lane 9 is so difficult.”
Mark English’s 800m semi-final at 1:30pm Irish time is the next focus, but he holds the third-slowest season’s best of the eight in his semi.
Alex Wright was disqualified during the men’s 20k wallk, where victory went to Spain’s Miguel Angel Lopez.
Justin Gatlin had the fastest winning time in the men’s 100m, with Usian Bolt surviving an early stumble to win his semi in 9.96 seconds – but Gatlin clocked 9.77 as must be favourite for tonight’s crown.
Will downing, Beijing