DALE GARLAND bowed out of the heats of the 400m hurdles at the World Championships but was prepared to take the positives out of the experience. The Guernsey athlete was competing in intense heat and high humidity in the Japanese city of Osaka and he performed admirably, finishing seventh in heat three in 49.98 – to come within two tenths of a second of his lifetime best.

Up against a stellar field, which included Olympic silver medallist Danny McFarlane of Jamaica and world 400m indoor record-holder Kerron Clement of the USA, Garland acquitted himself with pride.

Running from lane three for Great Britain, he enjoyed a clean race but was outpaced against world-class opposition.

The former decathlete, who qualified for the World Championships after winning the UK Championships in Manchester in a new personal best of 49.79 said: ‘I wanted a PB and I haven’t quite run that. The heat was loaded with Dai Tamesue (Japan’s double world bronze medallist), the Jamaican who was second in the Olympics and the American, who is one of the favourites.

‘It was daunting, but to be honest I felt more pressure at the trials. I put more pressure on myself here to perform. I’ve never been in a competition when everything [is riding] on one race.’

Bath-based Garland has enjoyed a far from perfect build up to the championships after tearing a hamstring in early June.

But the 26-year-old, who has twice represented Guernsey in the decathlon at the Commonwealth Games, bounced back from the disappointment to win the Island Games and then the UK Championships

But the former cross-country runner insisted he enjoyed the experience of competing on the highest quality competition of his career.

‘There was probably more people in this stadium than there is the whole of Guernsey,’ he joked. ‘I can’t complain about the conditions, it’s the best I’ve run in.

‘I wanted to break my PB and make the semis but it has been a good experience.’