On a successful first morning session at the World Indoor Championships, Bori Akinola got Ireland off to a flying start by qualifying for the semi-finals of the 60m in Torun, Poland.
The 24-year-old ran 6.59, his second-fastest time ever, to finish third in heat three and qualify 11th fastest overall for the next round taking place this evening (7.30pm).
Bori Akinola finished third in heat 3 to progress to this evening’s semi-final
Akinola’s heat was won by Bryan Levell of Jamaica in 6.53, which was the second-fastest time of the morning behind 2016 World Indoor Champion Trayvon Bromell of the US. Bromell clocked 6.52 to win heat two.
The time of 6.59 is Akinola’s fastest first-round run this season, and he believes he can go quicker in this evening’s semi-final.
“The plan was literally just get through the rounds and then go into the next round…I know there’s a bit more there,” Akinola told RTÉ Sport in Torun.
Akinola added that his goal is now to make the final. If he can manage that, he will become the first Irishman to do so.
“This is my first first race where I’ve gone sub 6.60 in the first round. I feel like if I do run quicker… It should be enough to make the final. That’s my goal now.”
Mark English progressed safely from the men’s 800m heats, winning his race in a time of 1:46.42.
English slotted into second position for the first 600m before hitting the front with a lap to run, and qualified comfortably, even taking a glance up at the big screen to check his positioning in the home straight.
Fastest man in the world this year, Eliott Crestan was the quickest across the six heats clocking 1:45.51.
Maeve O’Neill made her senior debut in the heats of the women’s 800m, taking on the pace at the 500m mark after a slow first 400m set by eventual winner Nigist Getachew.
O’Neill crossed the line in third position, just three hundredths off the heat winner, running 2:03.20, but a subsequent disqualification of second-placer Valery Tobias of the United States means O’Neill will get another run in tomorrow’s semi-final (11.22am).
“I’m shocked, I didn’t know anything was after going on behind me,” she said upon finding out about the disqualification.
“It was tough to make a decision to go up the inside with 300m to go as that’s pretty early in the race still. I did fade in the last 40 or 50m, but I knew I had to try something.”
Indoor national record holder Maeve O’Neill progressed to the semi-finals on her senior debut
Emma Moore, also making her senior debut, finished fifth in the sixth and final heat, with a 2:02.00 clocking, her second-fastest time ever, which wasn’t fast enough to progress.
“I tried to surge and make up a bit of ground, but I think that cost me in the end,” she said. “I knew if I ran the right race I’d get in, but I was just outside that.
“I made a few mistakes in trying to get into spaces. It’s all experience and I’m happy with that, 2.02 in a messy race.”
World record holder Keely Hodgkinson safely qualified, winning heat one in a relaxed 2:00.32.
James Gormley will race in the heats of the men’s 1500m this evening at 6:04pm,
The first gold medal of the championships was won by Yaroslava Mahuchik in the women’s high jump with a best of 2.01m. Nicola Olyslagers, Angelina Topic and Yuliia Levchenko all cleared 1.99m. Count back couldn’t separate the trio, so three silver medals were awarded.
Mahuchik reclaimed the title that she last won in 2023 and Topic bettered her father’s third-place finish in the 1999 championships, after ending up fourth in her last two appearances.
Listen to live updates from the World Athletics Championships on Saturday and Sunday Sport on RTÉ Radio 1.