Susan Smith's climb to a place among the top hurdlers in the world was accelerated still further yesterday with another remarkable run. For the second time in 48 hours, she pushed herself to the limit of her endurance to claim a place in tomorrow's final of the 400 metres hurdles with a time of 54.72 seconds.

That earned her the last of the four qualifying places in the first semi-final and the honour of becoming the first Irish woman to qualify for a sprint final since Maeve Kyle some 30 years ago.

Fulfilment came at a price, however, and the Waterford woman poured out so much strength in the effort that she had to be treated by the Irish team doctor, Brendan O'Brien, immediately after the race.

It was almost 10 minutes before she was fully revived, but she later dismissed speculation that it might restrict her chances of running in the final. "It wouldn't be me if I wasn't gulping air at the finish, but if that's the price of doing well, then I'm prepared to pay it."

As in the heats, it was Kim Batten, the world record holder, who showed the way home to the Irish athlete in a hard driving finish in which Smith was deprived of third place on the line by the Jamaican, Debbie Parris.

But even the vastly experienced American couldn't match Smith's pace off the blocks which enabled her to lead at the first obstacle.

Gradually, Batten, running three lanes outside her, got away from Smith and the Ukrainian, Tatyana Tereshchuk, down the back straight. But if the champion always had the race under control, the battle for the minor placings was growing more competitive by the stride.

Eventually, the Ukrainian generated enough speed off the last obstacle to claim second place and Smith, almost coming to a standstill over the last few metres, was pipped by Parris without ever being threatened with elimination from the final.

"I'm thrilled to be in the last eight," she said. "Each year, I set myself goals and my target this summer was to make the final here. It's been a lot of hard work but at least I've made it. And believe me, there is still some improvement to be tapped in the final."

It's an early wedding present for Smith who will be married in Waterford a week tomorrow, and the rate at which her career has developed in the last year is beginning to attract the notice of the international hurdling sorority.

"Whereas most of the girls had never heard of me a year ago, they are now aware that I'm around. This race was harder than the one on Tuesday. I wasn't as fluent over the hurdles today and I was working hard from the off. Those last 20 yards are always the hardest, but while I was quickly running out of strength, I knew that I just had to keep going."

Among those she will face in the final is Deon Hemmings of Jamaica, the Olympic champion, who won her race with an ease which suggests that she is now pretty well unbeatable in this gruelling event. But at least Smith will not have to legislate for the former Olympic title-holder, Sally Gunnell, who pulled out with a recurrence of ankle trouble before the semi-finals.

Meanwhile, Gary Ryan claimed a new national record and some valuable growing up lessons before making his exit from the 200 metres championship at the second round stage.

Ryan's morning run of 20.69 seconds equalled his time in the Cork City Sports, but with doubts about the veracity of the wind gauge readings that achievement was never likely to be recognised for record purposes.

No such uncertainty surrounded yesterday's performance in the heats in which the Nenagh man, ranked fifth of the eight starters, ran brilliantly in the middle stages to book a place in the second round draw.

Running in lane three, he led Kevin Little, the world indoor champion, at the entrance to the straight before deciding to relax and concede second place to the American.

"I reasoned that if I held something back I would be that much more competitive in the evening and give myself a chance of achieving what I set out to do, qualify for the semi-finals," he said.

Cruelly, it was a miscalculation. Far from finding extra inspiration in the higher quality of opposition, he tightened perceptibly in the last 50 metres and eventually slipped to last of the eight runners.

That conformed to his ranking, but given that he was disputing fourth place off the curve, it was still disappointing. So was his time of 20.83, a mere dream two years ago but now scarcely acceptable after his earlier run.

"I really believed I could do a lot better in my second run," he said. "I simply didn't do it in the first half of the race and after that there was no way back.

"Even in this kind of company, I reckoned that I had a chance of going on, but I needed to be at the top of my form. Perhaps, it was a reaction to the first run. But somehow, it just didn't happen for me.