Paul McKee (born October 15, 1977 in Belfast

Belfast

Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...

, Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...

) is an Irish sprint athlete

Sprint (race)

Sprints are short running events in athletics and track and field. Races over short distances are among the oldest running competitions. The first 13 editions of the Ancient Olympic Games featured only one event—the stadion race, which was a race from one end of the stadium to the other...

. He has represented Ireland

Ireland

Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...

 many times in international competition, including being a member of the Irish 4 x 400 metres relay

4 x 400 metres relay

The 4 x 400 meters relay or long relay is an athletics track event in which teams comprise four runners who each complete 400 meters or one lap. It is traditionally the final event of a track meet. At top class events, the first 500 meters is run in lanes...

 team at the Sydney Olympics. He has also represented Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...

, at the Commonwealth Games

Commonwealth Games

The Commonwealth Games is an international, multi-sport event involving athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations. The event was first held in 1930 and takes place every four years....

.

McKee is the former Irish record holder over 400 metres

400 metres

The 400 metres, or 400 metre dash, is a common sprinting event in track and field competitions. It has been featured in the athletics programme at the Summer Olympics since 1896 . On a standard outdoor running track, it is exactly one lap around the track. Runners start in staggered positions and...

 outdoors and indoors. The outdoor time of 45.58 s was recorded in winning the 2002 Irish Championships, with the indoor record (45.99 s) being set when tied for third position with Britain's Jamie Baulch

Jamie Baulch

James Steven Baulch , but raised by foster parents in Risca, near Newport, is a British sprint athlete and television presenter. He won the 400 metres gold medal at the 1999 World Indoor Championships. As a member of British 4 x 400 metres relay teams, he won a gold medal at the 1997 World...

 in the 400m final at the 2003 IAAF World Indoor Championships

2003 IAAF World Indoor Championships

The 9th IAAF World Indoor Championships in Athletics were held in the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham, UK from 14 March to 16 March 2003. It was the first time the Championships had been held in the UK...

. Paul's times have since been bettered by European Indoor Champion David Gillick

David Gillick

David Gillick is an Irish international track and field athlete. David began his education in Our Lady's Boys School and attended St.Benildus College secondary school in Kilmacud. He studied at Dublin Institute of Technology before moving to Loughborough to train as a full time athlete with coach...

 in 2007.

McKee was part of the 4 x 400 metres relay

4 x 400 metres relay

The 4 x 400 meters relay or long relay is an athletics track event in which teams comprise four runners who each complete 400 meters or one lap. It is traditionally the final event of a track meet. At top class events, the first 500 meters is run in lanes...

team (alongside Robert Daly, Antoine Burke & David McCarthy) that set the Irish record of 3:03.73 in Munich, 10th Aug 2002.

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