February 16, 2011
By Staff Reporter
With Bob Tisdall, at the Olympics in 1932, the last Irish athlete to win a medal in a major sprint event, McKee was considered a rank outsider, but he still booked himself a place in the final with a national record of 46.24 in the semifinal. Belfast’s McKee was joined by David McCarthy of Dublin, who ran a personal best of 46.61.
With McCarthy tailed off in the final, McKee forced his way into contention behind the winner, U.S. champion Tyree Washington, and Britain’s Daniel Caines.
It seemed as is he had been pipped for the bronze by Jamie Baulch despite the fact that both athletes were given the same time of 45.99. So for the best part of two hours, McKee had to be content with just another Irish record, as the medal ceremony went ahead. But following a protest by the Irish management, it was decided that he had dead-heated with Baulch and that he should be awarded a bronze as well. So McKee returned to the podium later in the day to receive his medal in splendid isolation.
He now joins Frank O’Mara, Marcus O’Sullivan, Paul Donovan and O’Sullivan as the only Irish medal winners at the World Indoor Championships.