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Athletics: Paul Hession fails to progress from 200m heats

Hession tried in vain to keep up with Yohan Blake
Hession tried in vain to keep up with Yohan Blake

Paul Hession failed to advance to the semi-finals of the 200m after a fifth-place finish in his heat.

The Athenry athlete clocked a time of 20.69 which was outside his season's best, as Yohan Blake led home the runners in heat four in a time of 20.38.

Usain Bolt began his bid to add a second Olympic 200 metres crown to his two 100m titles with a hugely comfortable victory in the first of the heats in a time of 20.39.

After the race, pondered what might have been: “I had a good start but the middle section is where I seemed to lose it.

“When I ran my 20.54 in Lucerne I was quiet good in the middle section. I finished reasonably well but I was too far back .

"I would like to have beaten Serhiy Smelyk of the Ukraine who finished a place ahead of me, but it still might not have been enough. I would have got through in some of the other heats, but that is still not quick enough anyway.” 

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