August 7, Malmo, Sweden
Darren Dineen failed in his objective to gain the A standard for Sydney yesterday evening in a difficult race that the conditions marred any chance of fast times due to huge gusts of erratic wind.In a tight and tactical race Darren struggled to stay with the leaders in the final stages but it didn't make any difference as winner Wilson Kirwa of Finland was way outside the A standard in his shock victory over Patrick Konchellah and Kenneth Kimwetich with a time of 1.47.23.Darren need not be too worried as his fellow compatriot James Nolan also failed to set a season`s best but finished just ahead of Dineen.
The race was indeed tight with James Nolan coming home 7th only 1.5 seconds off the winner.He was up with the leaders throughout the race and this race will service him well as he prepares for the National Championships in two weeks time.However on paper the race does indeed look like a waste of a trip with his time taken at 1.48.95.
The mood in the Dineen camp is still upbeat after this minor setback and Darren and his team are confident he can get the standard before the deadline of September 11.He was robbed by the weather and the eccentric pace of the race, clocking 1.49.93 for 9th
Darren Dineen will now look to another race in Europe for his qualifying attempt
Finland`s Wilson Kirwa was an impressive
winner in an exciting race