Athletics: Paul Hession finished third in his 200m quarter-final this evening to book his place in tomorrow's semis at the World Championships in Berlin. Derval O'Rourke earlier ran a season's best to progress to the penultimate round of the 100m hurdles.
Hession, who had a relatively easy passage when coming second to Steve Mullings in this morning’s heat, ran 0.12 seconds quicker to post a time of 20.48.
Mullings again beat Hession to the post this evening in the quickest time of 20.23 and the pair were separated by young Azerbaijan star Ramil Guliyev (20.40).
Athenry man Hession could now find himself up against Usain Bolt in tomorrow’s race after the fastest man on the planet cruised through his quarter-final with plenty to spare.
Bolt looked tired this morning when winning his opening heat but eased to victory in 20.41 this evening.
The 22-year-old Jamaican opened up a lead after moving in front at the turn and eased up as he approached the finish line.
With 2007 champion Tyson Gay out because of a groin injury, Bolt looks an unbackable favourite for Thursday's final when the only question should be whether he can beat his own world mark of 19.30, set in Beijing last year.
Marlon Devonish, Britain's only representative after the withdrawals of Dwain Chambers and trials winner Toby Sandeman, also made the semis. He held his form well in the closing stages to finish third in his second-round heat, posting a time of 20.66.
O'Rourke'stime of 12.86 saw her finish four hundredths of a second behind Olympic silver medallist Sally McLellan of Australia.
An injury to two-time defending champion Michelle Perry meant the American finished outside the top four and will not progress to tomorrow’s semi-final.
O'Rourke was 10th quickest of the 23 qualifiers, with the Canada's Priscilla Lopes-Schliep fastest in a time of 12.56.
Earlier, David Gillickprogressed to the 400m semi-finals in a time of 45.54 from heat one of the 400m behind Britain's Robert Tobin (45.50). He will be back on track tomorrow at 5.15pm Irish time.
Deirdre Ryanwent in the high jump and although she cleared 1.85m she missed out on the qualification mark of 1.89 that would have got her into Thursday's final.
Deirdre Byrnemissed out in the 1500m after she finished 11th in heat three in a time of 4:12.19.
High jump world champion Blanka Vlasic, a surprise loser in Beijing where she had been a hot favourite, went through untroubled to Thursday's final.
Germany's Ariane Friedrich, the 2009 world leader with 2.06 metres and another with a point to prove after her own Olympic disappointment, needed only one jump to join her.
World and Olympic champion Gerd Kanter wasted little time in qualifying for Wednesday's discus final when he comfortably threw his opening attempt 66.73 metres.
Double world and Olympic champion Virgilijus Alekna, Beijing silver medalist Piotr Malachowski and Berlin-based Robert Harting, a real local hero who won silver in Osaka as a 22-year-old, also went through safely.
"In daily life I've tried not to use my throwing arm too much in the last two weeks. I haven't seen my girlfriend so there was nothing to touch," said Harting.
All the favourites avoided trouble in some jostling in the women's 1,500 metres heats. The semi-finals are on Friday with the final on Sunday, the last day of competition.
There are five medals available in the evening session - the men's 400m hurdles, steeplechase and triple jump and the women's 400m and javelin.