Boyce hits Berlin wall in brave medal bid

Boyce hits Berlin wall in brave medal bid  

Brendan Boyce (Finn Valley) hit the wall in the final 10km after a brave medal in the men’s 50km race walk where he finished 19th in 4:02:14 at the European Athletics Championships in Berlin today (August 7).

The Donegal athlete went bravely with the pace from the get go despite a hampered preparation in the build-up.

Boyce was cross training for six weeks and then had three weeks proper race walking training due to a stress reaction in his tibia.

“Aerobically I was very fit but just missing some resistance training,” said Boyce afterwards. “I was looking at going after it positively and seeing what was possible.”

Earlier in the morning Chris O’Donnell (North Sligo) ran a season’s best of 46.81 to finish 6th from lane 1 in the first heat of the men’s 400m.

“I’m one of the youngest competitors here and this experience will stand to me in future championships to have an impact,” said the 20-year-old O’Donnell afterwards.

Siofra Cleirigh-Buttner (DSD) finished 6th in heat 1 of the 800m in 2:02.80 while Claire Mooney (UCD) finished 8th in heat 2 of the 800m in 2:04.26.

“I’m reasonably content and I’m improving,” said Cleirigh Buttner afterwards who is now finished university in Villanova. Mooney wasn’t overly pleased but gave it a good effort taking the lead with 250m to go. “I wasn’t strong enough in the end but I’ll come back better for it,” said Mooney.

Phil Healy (Bandon) competes this evening at 18:05 in the semi-finals of the women's 100m with Thomas Barr (Ferrybank) on at the 19:09 in the semi-finals of the 400m hurdles. Stephen Scullion (Clonliffe Harriers) is in the final of the men's 10,000m at 19:20 (all Irish times).