Ireland’s Roisin McGettigan and Fionnuala Britton qualified confidently for the World Championships 3000 metres steeplechase final, with strong front-running displays.
The first Irish competitor in action in Osaka this morning, national record-holder McGettigan mixed it with her rivals throughout the race.
She had no hesitation going out in front - realising, after being eliminated in her heat two years ago, she could not rely on qualifying as a fastest loser.
‘That's why I went off quickly and wasn't worried even when finding myself at the front,’ said McGettigan, who finished fourth in a time of nine minutes 39.41seconds.
‘So far I've achieved what I wanted to do,’ added the former USA Providence College student.
McGettigan was not troubled by the intense heat of more than 30 degrees and 64 percent humidity when her race took place.
Neither was Britton, who used the strength which saw her clinch the silver medal in last December's European Cross Country Under-23s Championships to make progress.
Britton, 22, showed she thrives in hot weather - as she did when an outstanding 14th in the senior event at the World Cross Country Championships last March.
Still a relatively inexperienced steeplechaser, she was in the final heat - traditionally the quickest of the three rounds.
She was no match for winner Cristina Casandra, of Romania, but went through as a fastest loser in a time of 9min 42.38sec.
Given the quality of the field in the final, there is a strong possibility both she and McGettigan could challenge the latter's national record of 9:28.29sec.
