In the end Nick Griggs was left hailing to the chiefs, his ninth-place finish in the 3,000 metres final by his own admission a valuable lesson in what it takes to make the podium at the World Indoor Championships.
In the straight 15-man final inside the Kujawsko-Pomorska Arena in Torun on Saturday night, Griggs moved up to sixth place mid-race, poised it seemed to press ever closer against some of the best middle-distance runners in the world.
Then they simply moved up another gear, Britain’s Josh Kerr imperious when hitting the front just after the bell and winning his second World Indoor title at this distance in 7:35.56. Olympic 1,500m champion Cole Hocker from the US won silver, just 0.23 behind, the fast-improving Yann Schrub from France winning bronze in 7:35.71.
Still Griggs was less than four seconds back in ninth, clocking 7:39.03, four places ahead of his Irish team-mate Andrew Coscoran, who faded badly over the last three laps to finish 13th in 7:43.89.
“It’s frustrating because it’s not a bad run, you’re just left wanting more, that can only be positive for me going forward,” said Griggs, the 21-year-old from Co Tyrone the youngest man in the final. “I just wasn’t close enough when the bell hit. That’s my responsibility, especially indoors.
“I felt like there was a bit more there, but top-10 in the world, I don’t want to be too down. It’s experience and something I can build on, 100 per cent. But I didn’t feel that comfortable, let a few guys come past me, and these lads are just too good, I just have to accept that.
“But it’s just more fuel for me to come back in future years. It really did hit me in the call room, looking around, these are the best athletes in the world. But the indoor season was never going to be my peak this year.”
Kerr got some revenge on Hocker, who beat him to the Olympic gold medal in Paris. The bronze medal winner there, Yared Nuguse from the US, only managed fifth here in 7:37.08.
Ireland’s Lauren Roy crosses the finish line in the semi-finals of the 60m. Photograph: Morgan Treacy/Inpho
Ireland’s Lauren Roy was also back on the track for the semi-finals of the 60m, having qualified from her morning heat, but her time of 7.23 seconds in sixth place was not enough to see her into the final showdown. Starting in lane eight, she gave it her all.
“Super happy to make the semi-final in my first World Indoors,” said Roy, the 25-year-old currently competing for Tarleton State University in Texas, and making her first senior appearance.
In Saturday’s morning session, Mark English once again fell short in his quest to make a first global 800 metres final, fading to fourth place in his semi-final despite a bold move to the front at the bell.
Saturday’s three semi-finals left no room for error: only the top two in each race progressed to Sunday’s final. Once again everything about the way English raced he’d come to Torun in the form of his life, but it once again it wasn’t enough to see him through.
Sitting back in fifth at 400m, passed in a cautious 52.92, English made a brilliant surge down the backstretch for the penultimate time, to move into third, before hitting the front at bell.
Still, he couldn’t quite shake some of his rivals, his occasional training partner Peter Pol from Australia, who like English is coached by Justin Rinaldi, moving past him approaching the final bend and holding on for the win in 1:46.21.
English was still chasing one of the final spots into the homestretch, but had to settle for fourth in 1:46.70. Japan’s Allon Clay surprised himself with the second qualifying spot, clocking 1:46.47.
Mark English missed out on the 800m final after finishing fourth in his semi-final in Toruń, Poland. Photograph: Morgan Treacy/Inpho
English had given his all, collapsing to the track when realising his final chance was gone. He also came thought he media mixed zone without making any comment. Athletics Ireland did submit a post-race appeal, claiming English may have been impeded after 250m, but that was rejected.
In the week he turned 33, English had appeared on the verge of going where he’s never gone before, indoors or outdoors. In the five European 800m finals he made, English has won a medal in each, three indoors and two outdoors, but he’ll leave Torun wondering what else might have been.
Maeve O’Neill had progressed to the women’s 800m semi-finals after one of the athletes ahead of her was disqualified for a lane infringement.
The Cork athlete also needed to finish in the top two to make her final, but racing in the first semi-final, that proved beyond her, finishing sixth in 2:02.46. That race was won by Hayley Kitching from Australia in 2:00.06, Just turned 22, O’Neill was making her first senior appearance.
Ciara Neville was out in the fifth of the seven 60m heats in the morning, the Limerick woman finishing fourth out in lane eight, her time of 7.31 not enough to progress “I was hoping for a little faster than that,” said Neville, the 26-year-old appearing in her first championships in five years due to injury.
Sunday’s Irish in action (all times Irish)
Kate O’Connor – Pentathlon – 60m Hurdles, 9.05am
Kate O’Connor – Pentathlon – High Jump – 9.43am
Sarah Lavin – 60m Hurdles – Heats – 11.55am
Kate O’Connor – Pentathlon – Shot Put – 12.21pm
Kate O’Connor – Pentathlon – Long Jump – 4.40pm
Kate O’Connor – Pentathlon – 800m – 7.03pm
Mark English after his 800m semi-final run at the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Toruń, Poland. Photograph: INPHO/Morgan Treacy