ATHLETICS:The first thing to remember about indoor 400-metre running is that it carries a completely different set of rules to outdoors. The second thing is to never forget that.
It’s not just about running two laps instead of just one: tactics, audacity and brute force all come into play – as does the very policing of the rules – unlike outdoors, where it’s mostly about concentrating on your own race, the wearing of dark sunglasses now a frequent accessory of this tunnel vision. Indoors is more about running in the fifth dimension.
It’s worth remembering too that one of the finest exponents of the indoor event in recent years was our own David Gillick. Eight years ago in Madrid, Gillick defied his youth and inexperience to execute the near-perfect race – or at least in the way he policed it – to win the European Indoor title. Two years later in Birmingham he repeated the feat, running a brilliant 45.52 seconds.
Then, Gillick appeared to forget the rules, getting it tactically wrong when trying to win a third successive title in Turin, before completely fouling in the World Indoors of 2010 in Doha. His reputation then counted for little too.
No one seems more aware of all this than Brian Gregan, the man now charged with following in Gillick’s footsteps when the European Indoors get under way in Gothenburg this morning. Gregan goes into the 400m heats with the fastest time in Europe this season, the lifetime best of 46.07 seconds he ran in Athlone at the end of January, yet knowing, too, that the rules of this event imply that times can sometimes be irrelevant, if not a little misleading.
Layer of confidence
However, what the 23-year-old from Tallaght has brought to Gothenburg is a layer of confidence that should see him through to tomorrow’s semi-finals – then on to Sunday’s final, and the very real prospect of a medal. It won’t be easy, nor is Gregan expecting it to be.
“I suppose I never expected to be here as European number one,” he says, “but I am comfortable with that, it doesn’t bother me. I can deal with the pressure as it comes. I’ve been training quite hard all winter, kept the volume quite high, and now that I have been tapering down I do feel ready for championship running.”
Gregan also lowered his indoor 200m best this season to 21.27, again in Athlone, and will need to call on all that speed to get himself in the right place at the right time, which in indoor 400m running is effectively at the break at the bell.
His opponents include the reigning European outdoor champion Pavel Maslak from the Czech Republic, his best this year being 46.31, a trio of British runners fronted by Richard Strachan, with his 46.22, and the leading Russian Pavel Trenikhin, who has run 46.09.
Some comfort for Gregan is that the Belgian twins, Jonathan and Kevin Borlée, have only entered the 4x400m relay: yet Gregan actually beat Jonathan Borlée in Gent, last month, and also Luguelin Santos, the Dominican Republic’s Olympic silver medallist, third in 47.11, and that’s where the confidence is coming from.
“For sure, beating Borlée and Santos was a big, big confidence boost. I feel I’m good enough right now to compete with any of them, once I put myself in contention, and compete as well as I can. I think now I can beat anyone of them on the day,” he says.
Main focus
“There is the Russian guy, who has run more or less as quick as me, then the British guys, but I think I’ve got the strength too, no matter where I am in the race, to come back and win it. But at the end of the day, the outdoor season is still the main focus of the year. If I can make the final at the World Championships, in Moscow, then that will be a bigger achievement.
“The main thing for me is to enjoy it, try to have the bit of craic as well, because if you’re not enjoying it there’s no point being there.”
If Gregan can remember all this, remember all the rules of indoor 400m running, there is no reason why he can’t follow in Gillick’s footsteps. What he hasn’t forgotten is being left behind for the London Olympics, his outdoor best of 45.61 falling just .02 short of the A-standard.
“I still say they should have sent me. The faster I run the more stupid they look, for not sending me, because I really believe it was an oversight on their behalf. Come Rio, they have to look at the procedure again, and if there are athletes with B-standards that are good enough then they should be sent,” he says.
Nor does he forget to pay tribute to the man who brought Irish 400m running – indoors and out – into another realm. “What Gillick’s done has been incredible, running sub-45 seconds, a few times now. He’s someone I’ve always looked up to, and I just want to see him get back racing, so we can both push each other on.”
Taking over his mantle of European Indoor champion will be good enough for now.
The Irish in Gothenburg
Brian Gregan
(Clonliffe Harriers AC)
Event: 400m
Hasn't put a foot wrong in his four indoor races so far this season, winning twice over 200m and 400m, and if he can keep his head, while those around them lose theirs, is definitely a potential medal winner.
Ciarán Ó Lionáird
(Leevale AC)
Event: 3,000m
The charismatic Cork man has been displaying an exciting return to form since his harsh experience at the London Olympics, his recent indoor mile of 3:52.10 translates to a 3:36.85 1,500m – also the fastest in Europe this season. However, by opting for the 3,000m, though probably rightly so, his 7:53.69, from Boston, ranks only 10th of the event entries in Gothenburg, with reigning European outdoor 1,500m and cross country champion Henrik Ingebrigtsen looking to secure a unique treble. Ó Lionáird will need to run smart to make his final.
John Travers
(Donore Harriers AC)
Event: 3,000m
One of the most exciting juniors of recent years, Travers is now maturing as a strong senior prospect, running a sole personal best of 7:58.54 to win the National Indoors last month, and book his ticket here, and has the ability and pace to get himself into the final.
Stephen Scullion
(North Belfast Harriers AC)
Event: 3,000m
Finished seventh at the British Grand Prix in Birmingham last month, his 7:58.11 also good enough to get him to Gothenburg, although he'll need to improve on that to make the final.
Derval O'Rourke
(Leevale AC)
Event: 60m hurdles
O'Rourke's knack for championship peaking has always been her strength, and she'll certainly need to do that again if she's to make the final here. Bronze medallist in Turin in 2009, and fourth in Paris two years ago, her season best of 8.08 only ranks her 15th best, with former outdoor rival Nevin Yanit of Turkey among those ahead of her, plus the top-ranked Russian Yulia Kondakova, with her 7.93.
Fionnuala Britton
(Kilcoole AC)
Event: 3,000m
Although adamant that Gothenburg is a stepping stone to next month's World Cross Country in Poland, Britton will certainly want to make the final. Currently ranked eighth, with her 8:54.37, and only four seconds off the number one Russian Elena Korobkina, she certainly won't be out of her depth and an early break for glory may well be rewarded.
Ciara Everard
(UCD AC)
Event: 800m
Has made huge strides this season, breaking the Irish indoor record with her 2:02.54 run in Athlone last month, and backing that up with the senior title. Coached by former European Indoor medallist James Nolan, she is making her championship debut but has the chance of making the final.
Amy Foster
(City of Lisburn AC)
Event: 60m
Her new personal best of 7.33 at the national indoors secured her place in Gothenburg, and was just .03 outside the national record of 7.30 held by Anna Boyle: improve on that here and she can make the semi-finals.
Claire Tarplee
(Dundrum South Dublin AC)
Event: 1,500m
One of the last qualifiers with her personal best of 4.13.96 in Stockholm two weeks ago, she also won the British Championships 800m in 2:03.66 last month, and is certainly coming into form at the right time.
Rose Anne Galligan
(Newbridge AC)
Event: 800m
Clocked 2:03.39 for 800m at the "last chance" meeting in Athlone last weekend, but has the experience to get out of the heats, having previously competed in the 2010 World Indoor Championships in Doha.
Tori Pena
(Finn Valley AC)
Event: Pole Vault
Recently equalled her own national record of 4.45m in Arizona but only qualification for the final in Gothenburg will represent any sort of notable improvement here.
Ian O'Riordan
