Another Update!

He's through! Paul won his second round heat in some style posting 20.32.

We'll be back to the Huntsman to roar him on!

Dan's bar and Ray Glynn's bar in Athenry will the place to be from 2pm!

Paul has a good draw and the easier[!] of the semis .

[Not that it will be easy at all!]

19 August 2008 - 14:25

2 Jared Connaughton CAN 20.34 20.34

3 Christian Malcolm GBR 20.30 20.08

4 Walter Dix USA 19.86 19.69

5 Paul Hession IRL 20.32 20.30

6 Brian Dzingai ZIM 20.17 20.12

7 Churandy Martina AHO 20.17 20.17

8 Kristof Beyens BEL 20.45 20.44

9 Christopher Williams JAM 20.20 20.02

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Update!

Hession qualifies 3rd in his heat.

He goes again at 1:26 Irish time in another tough draw where he will face Spearmon and Ndure again - with Jamacian Marvin Anderson thown in for good effect.

Members of Athenry AC working in Galway City will be gathering in the Huntsman to cheer him on.

All are welcome to come along!

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At 3am Monday morning Irish time, Paul Hession will make his bid for glory at the Olympics in Beijing.

He has already had an outstanding season, and hopefully he can cap it off with a good performance on the big stage.

He has it tough though - his heat in the 200m is "stacked", "loaded" and all the various adjectives that Jerry Kiernan or Michael Johnson would use.

He goes in heat 6, with the big guns of Wallace Spearmon, and the Gambian born Norweigan Ndure alongside him. He is drawn in lane 2, but with the inside lane of the Bird's Nest left unused during the sprints, this isn't too bad as he can see whats ahead of him all the way.

But hopefully he'll leave them all in his wake!

The first 3 from the heat qualify for the next round, and the 8 fastest qualifiers [of 7 heats] will also make it through.

Full details here

http://results.beijing2008.cn/WRM/ENG/INF/AT/C51A/ATM002906.shtml#ATM002906

Many of his family and friends have made the trip to Beijing, and they, like us here at home, will be roaring him on.

Go Paul!