Athletics/ World Championships: It was hotter than Cairo, Rio and hell in Osaka yesterday, and for the Irish in action on the track things proved a little too hot to handle.

All season Paul Hession was eyeing a place in the World Championship final of the 200 metres, and while he came so close last night - finishing sixth in his semi-final - in the end he couldn't quite lick it.

David Gillick was chasing a similar reward over 400 metres, and while he also ended up sixth in his semi-final, it wasn't without some consolation. He, too, has reached a new level of performance and all the time closing the gap on the world's very best. Neither of them was in any way out of their depth and that brings obvious promise going into an Olympic year.

For Hession, in particular, there were no regrets. It's still been a sweet few weeks for the 24-year-old from Athenry, his sixth-place finish in the second semi-final leaving him among the top dozen 200-metre sprinters in the world. Nothing wrong with that. The only disappointment was he couldn't quite match his Irish record of 20.30 seconds - which would have seen him through - and that his legs couldn't survive the demands of three races in two days.

"Yeah, disappointed, initially," he said, "and I will be for a few days to come. But overall it's been a very good season. I just didn't seem to run the bend the way I should have. I tried to run it as hard as I could, but the legs were just a little tired, and were tired last night. I think the 20.47 followed by a 20.50 yesterday, for some reason, was a little too much.

"But of course that's something I'm going to have to get used to, because that's the reality of the situation. And next year at the Olympics certainly won't be any easier. I'll have to work more on that, but I'm still in the top 12 in the world, and I'm happy with that. But I still ran 20.50 out there, which is not a disaster."

Not by any means - considering it again bettered the Irish record coming into the season. And considering the company he was in, with America's gold medal favourite Tyson Gay running in the lane outside him and taking the win in 20.00, it was probably asking a little too much for him to progress.

Yet what a season it's been - seven national records over three different distances, indoors and out. The lessons are there to bring away for next year, and one thing for certain is we haven't heard the last of Hession on the world stage.

"Well I felt good for the first 50 metres," he added, "but actually lost the trace in the first 50 metres. It's all been a very good stepping-stone. I just think it's the season I should have had three years ago, after the last Olympics. But I was held back with injuries. This year I'm just so happy to have got through it, and if I have a problem-free winter again I should really build on this even more. Standards at the Olympics next year won't be any higher. I'm nearly there, and hopefully next year I will be there."

That's the same attitude Gillick was portraying after his 400 metres semi-final, where like Hession he had the gold medal favourite for company in the American Jeremy Wariner, who won in 44.34. Gillick was sixth in 45.37 - his third fastest ever - with his effort absolute and his head held high in what is clearly a particularly high-quality event.

"Well only four Europeans made it this far," he said, "and the slowest qualifier was 45.44. So the standard was very tough. I wanted to get the semi-finals, and give my all after that. And I'm happy I did that. I know leaving Gothenburg a year ago I was very down, but I went out here, a little unlucky with the outside lane, and ran hard. But this is a World Championship, and this Irish team is doing phenomenally well, pulling results in a truly global sport. It's just great to be a part of it."

The gulf in class between Gillick and Wariner was all too apparent, and while the Irish athlete huffed and puffed his way down the homestretch to run 45.37, the American eased past inside him, hardly even breathing, and is now eying Michael Johnson's world record of 43.18 in tomorrow's final.

"I actually thought he would come up quicker," added Gillick. "Maybe I went out a little fast. But you know you're not going to catch them boys. I don't know what it is, maybe it's just genetics . . . I know I have talent but I have to work bloody hard to get a certain level. It's like those boys are born programmed to run at that level, at 43 seconds."

Gillick did have further consolation in that Johan Wissman made the final with a Swedish national record of 44.56, with the Frenchman Leslie Djhone also requiring a national record of 44.46 to make it: "Wissman does gives me confidence," added Gillick. "He's talented, but I know if he can run 44 seconds then I can run 44. But I'm not leaving here disappointed. The last thing I wanted to do was walk through this mixed zone with my head down.

"I think I'm in the form to run 44 seconds, soon. But you have to work in steps. I ran 45.6 once off last year. I've come out this year and consistently run 45-low. That bodes well for next year. But I wasn't looking for times here. I wanted to give a solid account of myself. I can walk off with my head held high. Next year is Olympic year, and I think I've laid a solid foundation for that."

Concluding the Irish interest yesterday was Mary Cullen, who finished 11th in her 5,000 metres heat in 15:40.53, but still not far off qualification - with eighth place in her race going through: "That was rough," she admitted. "The conditions were hard, but to be honest the pace wasn't that bad. I felt I had to sit back, that there was no point in leading, not with the world record holder in there.

"But I didn't feel good from the gun, and struggled the whole way. I'm not using that as an excuse but I just felt flat. But I've had a long season, running 15:19 back in April, and maybe I've had too long a season."

Still the positive Irish mood should continue today when Eileen O'Keeffe goes in the final of the women's hammer as the fifth best based on Tuesday's qualifications and Alistair Cragg goes in the first of two 5,000 metres heats as the fourth fastest this year, and therefore looking good for a place in Sunday's final.

Day Five Details

Selected results

Men

200 Metres Semi-Final: Heat 2: 1 Tyson Gay (USA) 20.00secs, 2 Marvin Anderson (Jam) 20.06, 3 Christopher Williams (Jam) 20.24, 4 Anastsios Gosis (Gre) 20.33, 5 Brendan Christian (Ant) 20.36, 6 Paul Hession (Irl) 20.50, 7 Kristof Beyens (Bel) 20.53, 8 Patrick Johnson (Aus) 20.73

400 Metres Semi-Final: Heat 2: 1 Jeremy Wariner (USA) 44.34sec, 2 Chris Brown (Bah) 44.52, 3 Ato Modibo (Tri) 45.12, 4 Gary Kikaya (Cod) 45.14, 5 Ricardo Chambers (Jam) 45.18, 6 David Gillick (Irl) 45.37, 7 California Molefe (Bot) 45.47, 8 William Collazo (Cub) 45.54.

1500 Metres Final: 1 Bernard Lagat (USA) 3mins 34.77secs, 2 Rashid Ramzi (Brn) 3:35.00, 3 Shedrack Kibet Korir (Ken) 3:35.04.

High Jump Final: 1 Donald Thomas (Bah) 02.35m ,2 Yaroslav Rybakov (Rus) 02.35, 3 Kyriakos Ioannou (Cyp) 02.35.

Women

400 Metres Final: 1 Christine Ohuruogu (Brit) 49.61secs, 2 Nicola Sanders (Brit) 49.65, 3 Novlene Williams (Jam) 49.66.

5000 Metres Heat2: 1 Meseret Defar (Eth) 15mins 10.13secs, 2 Meselech Melkamu (Eth) 15:10.32, 3 Priscah Jepleting Cherono (Ken) 15:11.22. 11 Mary Teresa Cullen (Irl) 15:40.53.

100 Metres Hurdles Final: 1 Michelle Perry (USA) 12.46secs, 2 Perdita Felicien (Can) 12.49, 3 Delloreen Ennis-London (Jam) 12.50.

Discus Throw Final: 1 Franka Dietzsch (Ger) 66.61m, 2 Darya Pishchalnikova (Rus) 65.78, 3 Yarelis Barrios (Cub) 63.90.