O'Dwyer into high jump final in Budapest

Kilkenny high jumper Adrian O'Dwyer has qualified for tomorrow's high jump final at the World Indoor Athletics championships …

Kilkenny high jumper Adrian O'Dwyer has qualified for tomorrow's high jump final at the World Indoor Athletics championships in Budapest.

The 20 year old, a Kilkenny City Harriers' clubman, jumped 2.27m to reach the final stages.

The final is scheduled for 5.15pm tomorrow evening.

Elsewhere, there was mixed fortunes for the Irish competitors.

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David McCarthy, a finalist last year, qualified for the semi-finals of the 400m as one of two fastest losers.  The Celbridge athlete clocked a time of 46.94 seconds.

Maria McCambridge turned in a smooth run to qualify for Sunday's 3000m final, as she finished third this morning in a time of 8.59.11.

Elsewhere, though, fortunes were not so rewarding as the remaining four athletes competing this morning failed to progress past the heats in their respective events.

Karen Shinkins ran a disappointing run to finish sixth and last in her 400m heat, timing a full two seconds off her best this season in 54.37.

Joanne Cuddihy also trailed home last in her heat of the same event, clocking a time of 54.2 seconds.

In the men's 400m, Robert Daly failed to progress from the heats.  He finished third in a time of 47.42 while Gary Ryan was fifth, in a time of 6.83 seconds, in his heat of the 60m.

British sprinter Jason Gardener ambled to victory in his first heat.    Gardener, a 60 metres specialist and the favourite to win his first global title after two world indoor bronzes, jogged through his first run in 6.56 seconds.

American Gail Devers launched her bid for a sprint and hurdles double in more forceful fashion, pushing herself hard to beat rival Merlene Ottey.

The American, 37 years young to Ottey's 43, got away fast before easing home to win her opening 60 metres heat in 7.15 seconds.

No one bettered that time in the first round. Ottey, once of Jamaica and now of Slovenia, qualified in second in Devers's heat but struggled to get moving as she timed 7.27, the seventh-fastest time overall.