By Will Downing
Thomas Barr has bowed out on the opening morning of the European Indoor Athletics Championships in Glasgow.
European outdoor 400-hurdles bronze-medallist Barr finished fifth in his heat - outside the qualifiers.
The Waterford AC athlete was drawn on the inside in lane two, a major disadvantage over 400m indoors, due to the athletes breaking after the first 200m lap, and found himself right at the back at the bell.
Barr was always playing catch-up then in a somewhat unfamiliar event at this level as he finished fifth in his heat in 48.22 seconds, over a second outside his season’s best as European and world 400m hurdles champion Karsten Warholm took the honours in 47.15 seconds.
Warholm, still only 22, has the fastest time in Europe this season of 45.56 and is a prime candidate for gold.
Barr described the result as "very disappointing" and added: "It’s annoying I didn’t put myself in touch in the first lap.
"Live and learn I suppose. There’s a lot more to indoor 400m running than I remembered."
The Waterford star opted to compete at these Championships for the first time due to the IAAf's outdoor World Championships taking place over a month later than usual, in Doha at the end of September, which is Barr’s chief target of 2019.
Phil Healy is the only Irish athlete to make progress so far.
Healy had the fortune of being drawn on the outside in lane six in her heat of the women’s 400 metres, and took full advantage of it, starting tremendously and keeping out in front until the break of lanes at halfway.
The Waterford-based Bandon AC sprinter looked very impressive and led throughout, until she was reeled in over the final 20 metres either side by Italian Raphaela Boaheng Lukudo and Deborah Sananes of France.
Healy’s time of 53.13, while solid, was short of her season’s best from January of 52.31, and with Lukudo winning in 52.99, Sananes second in 53.05, Healy was left waiting in the hot seat to see if she would progress among the fastest losers into tonight’s semi-finals.
She had to hang on until the very last of the seven heats to learn that she had made it as the fourth of the additional four, with home favourite Eilidh Doyle among those going through, but outside of the automatic qualifiers.
Speaking after her race, but before learning of her qualification, Healy said: “I led for the whole thing.
“I went out in 24.3, and thought that the French girl (Sananes) wouldn’t come out at me at the beginning.
“It’s hard to see where you are in lane six.
"I just didn’t have it in the last 10-15 metres but if I’m in the semi-final later I’ll look to go and give it my all - it’s another shot.
"I didn’t feel them coming towards me at all until the very end. I just didn’t have it in the legs for that little bit because maybe I went out too hard.
“That’s part and parcel of indoor running.
“Disappointed I didn’t get an automatic Q because that’s the main aim, and obviously that gives you a better lane draw.
“That didn’t happen.”
Healy though has received an awkward draw off the back of this morning’s result – she’ll be starting from lane two in the semis tonight at 8:45pm, a position that has already done for Irish hopefuls in the opening session at the Emirates Arena.