special to Irish Runner.com by Dave Mervyn

Ireland claimed their second medal of the World University Games in Daegu, Korea with a silver medal performance for Athenry sprinter Paul Hession with the other a bronze to Michael Williamson in the 200m breaststroke.

It's been quite a 24 hour period for Irish sprinting with Paul Brizzel finishing 13th at the World Championships and qualifying with an A standard for the 2004 Olympics.

20-year-old Hession clocked 20.89 seconds behind South African winner Leigh Julius (20.49). The Galway flyer set a personal best and new national U23 record of 20.80 in the semi-finals.

His performance also puts him third on the Irish all-time list, a staggering achievement for someone who turned 20 last January. This year has seen a steady progression in him as he clocked impressive times at the European U23 Championships in Bydgoszcz, Poland (20.84), Santry (20.84) and finished second at the national Championships earlier this month to Brizzel in 21.01.

21-year-old Colin Griffin of the University of Limerick placed 13th in the 20km walk today at the World University Games in Daegu, Korea.

His time of 1:29.21 put him five minutes forty-seven seconds behind race winner Stepan Yudin of Russia. The Ballinamore athlete's performance, amongst sixteen finishers in the Ip Suck school grounds, was down on his previous best of 1:25.20, set in Cheboksary, Russia, last May at the European Cup of Race Walking.

European Junior silver medallist Joanne Cuddihy missed out on a bronze medal at the World University Games in Daegu, Korea today by the smallest of margins in the women's 400m final. But in finishing fourth, she did better her national Junior record.

The 19-year-old Kilkenny sprinter clocked 52.94 to better her previous record of 53.05 which she ran in Santry on the 10th of August. The race was dominated by Russians Tatiana Firova and Maria Lisnichenko who claimed first and second in 51.81 and 52.54 respectively.

South Africa's Estie Witstock stretched over the line ahead of UCD student Cuddihy, for third in 52.86.

Irish Results at 2003 World University Games
Daegu, Korea 22 August - 1 September 2003

Men's
200m
Paul Hession won his opening round race in 21.11 (+1.9). Hession placed 2nd in his Round 2 race running 21.47 (-1.8). Hession, from Atherny AC set a Personal Best and an Irish U-23 200m record placing 2nd in Semifinal #2 running 20.80 (+0.2). In the final Hession won the silver medal running 20.89 (-0.7).

1,500m
Brian Murray ran 3.47.53 in opening round 1,500m race placing 7th and advancing to the final as a fastest loser. In the final, Murray ran 3.45.44 to place 9th.

3,000m Steeplechase
Crusaders Eugene O'Neill ran 9.00.31 to place 11th in the 3,000m Steeplechase.

20k Walk
Colin Griffin placed 13th covering the distance in 1.29.21

Women
100m
Anna Boyle placed 3rd in Heat 5 of Round 1 running 11.91 (+1.7) and automatically advancing to Round 2 where she placed 5th (11.95, -0.4) advancing to the Semifinal as a fastest loser. Boyle placed 8th in Semifinal #1 running 12.01 (-0.3).

400m
Joanne Cuddihy ran 53.68 in the opening round of the 400-metre event placing 3rd in her heat advancing to the Final as a fastest loser. Cuddihy ran a brilliant race in the final placing 4th in 52.94, a mere .08 away from a silver medal. Her performance places her #2 on the Irish All-Time 400m list behind Karen Shinkins' Irish record of 51.07. Cuddihy broker own Junior record and smashed Shinkins' U-23 record of 52.13 as well.

400m Hurdles
Michelle Carey ran 1.01.11 in Heat 2 of 3 in the opening round of the 400m hurdles and did not advance.

Hammer
Eileen O'Keeffe placed 4th in the hammer with a best throw of 62.96m. Her series comprised of 60.60m, 59.75m, 62.96m, foul, foul and 60.74.

World University Games