Derval O'Rourke's Olympic campaign lasted just 13.22 seconds as she bowed out of the 100 metres hurdles in Beijing today. The Cork woman ,trailed home in sixth place of her heat to bring the curtain down on an inconsistent and disappointing season.
With patchy form to date this year, O'Rourke knew it would take something special to reach the next round, not to mention the final, but today's time was some way short of her Irish record of 12.72 seconds.
That she failed to break the 13 second barrier - O'Rourke had run 12.90 earlier in the season - will no doubt give further cause for disappointment.
Starting in lane eight, an unusually tense O'Rourke was guilty of false starting at the first attempt but when the race got successfully underway she made a positive start. However, O'Rourke - who suffered an adductor muscle tear in the build-up to Beijing - had started to flag by 50 metre mark and was well out of contention by the line.
Jamaica's Vonette Dixon ran a season's best to win in 12.69, while Canadian Priscilla Lopes-Schliep also qualified for the semi-final in a time of 12.75.
In the second heat of the 400m hurdles, Michelle Carey was last of seven after being ouclassed by the field and finishing in 57.99.
Britain's Tasha Danvers was a convincing winner in a time of 55.19. She progresses to the semi-final with Russia's Anastasia Ott (55.34) and Jamaican Nikiesha Wilson (55.75).