European Indoor Championships, Madrid, ESP, Day 2

Golden Gillick

In front of the Spanish home crowd, David Canal was far and away the favourite for the 400m. Sure enough he went out hard but had a tough battle with Russian Dmitriy Forshev to claim the lead. Meantime, David Gillick, the Irishman from Dundrum South Dublin AC and a new Belgravian stayed in touch and came through off the last bend with such strength that he could not be denied. He beat Canal by 34/100ths and had enough time to celebrate as he approached the line. "Right now I feel a little tired," said David, "but I enjoyed it. Canal went off very hard on the first lap, but I just waited. I can't believe it."

Chris Lambert twice reduced his best ever indoor 200m time as he won both his heat and semi-final. A medal must be a strong possibility in tomorrow's final where his sparkling performance today should earn him a good lane draw. He was fastest of all runners in the opening round and only the German, Unger, was faster at the semi-final stage.

Darren Chin has been in contact to tell us that he was bitterly disappointed to have to pull up in his 60m semi yesterday, feeling that he could have gone on to medal. He's had some treatment and feels that he's ok. No doubt he'll come back even stronger another day.

Competing right up to the high standard he's been setting in the last few weeks, Ben Challenger placed 10th in the qualifying round of the high jump, 5th in his group, equalling his best ever indoors. If he could have managed the next height he would have made the final.

Men. 200m: 1s3 C Lambert 20.74 (1h4 20.77). 400m: 1 D Gillick 46.30. HJ: 10GrpB B Challenger 2.27 (2.13-o, 2.18-o, 2.23-o, 2.27-xo, 2.30-xxx)

Restored from the club's earlier website, belgraveharriers.com, and published here as originally written.