Smith in shock exit at IAAF

Jul 16 2008 by Our Correspondent, Birkenhead News

WIRRAL middle-distance star Chris Smith was left devastated after crashing out of the heats of the 800m at the World Junior Championships in Bydgoszcz last Tuesday.

The 19-year-old, who has suffered from a succession of injuries and illnesses in the last 12 months, including two collapsed lungs, finished a disappointing sixth in the third of six 800m heats.

Smith had led at the halfway stage, charging through the 400m mark in 56.09 seconds but in the second half of the race, the Wirral AC star visibly tired and was overtaken by five other athletes.

Poland’s Adam Kszczot won the heat in 1.51.80 minutes, with Sweden’s Robin Rohlen and Germany’s Sebastian Keiner taking the remaining two automatic qualification berths for the semi-finals.

Smith, who finished in 1.53.30, was left fuming at his performance but also the rough treatment he was subjected to in a bruising heat.

He said: “That was terrible. I can’t count the number of times I got pushed. I got pushed all over the place throughout the race and it was a nasty race.

“I’ve had a few bad years and this was my chance to shine. I’ve been running fantastic in training but I just couldn’t pull it out of the bag when it mattered most.”

The Lloyds TSB Local Heroes initiative supports Britain's young sporting hopefuls on their journey to London 2012.