Susan Smith is primed to run the race of her career in the semi-finals of the 400 metres hurdles championship in Athens today (5.50 p.m Irish time), just 24 hours after setting a national record of 54.61 seconds in the heats.

"It's another race and another chance to go possibly even faster," she said after finishing second to the world record holder, Kim Batten in the third of four heats.

"Before I came out here, I set my sights on reaching the semifinals. Now that I've achieved that, I want a place in the final itself.

"I don't rate a place among the top three in the world, so to me, every race at this level is an Olympic final. That's the way I approached the heats and it will be exactly the same tomorrow."

As in the Olympic semi-finals in Atlanta last summer, the Waterford athlete chose a major international championship to rewrite her Irish record, illustrating yet again what a fine competitor she is on the big occasion.

The remarkable thing about this latest performance, was that it was achieved after a troubled night in which she complained of stomach pains.

It never showed in the race, however, in which she went out like a rocket and after clearing the first obstacle in the lead, held her advantage over the world champion, until the eighth obstacle.

"I looked across and saw her and the first thought which went through my mind was - `My God what am I doing here? Am I going to die?' She was battling, as I was battling to win the race, and the feeling was good."

Smith's hurdling technique was even better on this occasion, driving hard into the hurdle and then running off it. It looked every bit as impressive as that of the vastly experienced Batten, just two lanes away, and allied to her indomitable spirit, it made her a formidable rival for even the defending champion.

Batten was given a time of 54.56, with the Russian, Yelena Bakhvalova third in 55.08. That was marginally slower than the first heat in which the Olympic champion, Deon Hemmings of Jamaica edged out her immediate predecessor as Olympic gold medallist, Sally Gunnell in 54.42.

Fortunately, Smith has again avoided Hemmings, everybody's favourite to win the gold medal in this event, and Gunnell, now approaching something like her old form, in the semi-final draw.

Instead, she is set to renew rivalry with Batten with the significant difference that on this occasion, the American has been drawn two lanes outside her and will therefore be in her sights, at least until they straighten out for home.

The first four in each of the two races, progress to the final on Friday and, in addition to Batten, the Irish woman will also have to make provision for the different strengths of Tatyana Tereshchuk of Ukraine and the German, Silvia Rieger. It's going to be another exciting challenge for Smith but if she runs with the same exuberance as yesterday, she will have every chance of reaching her first major final.

David Matthews ran bravely but ultimately unsuccessfully, in the second round of the 800 metres championship. Replicating his adventurous running in the heats, he gambled everything by going out with the pacemaker, Andre Bucher in 51.3.

He held that position until 150 metres out when a place in the semi-finals beckoned. But then, dramatically, he was gone in a matter of strides and receded to last place in 1 min 46.6.

"When I put my foot down, there was nothing left and I realised then that I had gone out too fast," he said. "Yet I have no regrets. I could have run conservatively and perhaps, improved two or three places but that wouldn't have served any useful purpose.

"Before the race, I made up my mind that I was going to be positive. I had nothing to lose and I still count it as an important growing up experience."

The winner of the heat was Norberto Tellez of Cuba in 1:44.82, but as expected, it was Wilson Kikpeter of Denmark who produced the most convincing 800 metres running of the day when resisting the challenge of the local athlete, Petros Stroubakos in the fourth heat.

Peter Coghlan, venturing into world championship competition for the first time, received a sharp if hopefully, beneficial lesson in the demands of big time athletics, in the heats of the 110 metres hurdles.

Taking over the position vacated by TJ Kearns, the Yale University student, had to settle for sixth place in a time of 13.94, in the heat won with some authority by the German, Florian Schwarthoff.

Coghlan was still reasonably competitive as Shwarthoff led them out to halfway but then receded swiftly to finish half a second adrift of the winner. The consolation was that his time represented a career best performance - and that was an encouraging augury for the young Dubliner!