Successful EYOF team return

The successful Irish athletics team returned with five medals from the European Youth Olympic Festival in Tbilisi, Georgia to a great reception in Dublin Airport. 

Neville gold leads Irish medal charge

Ciara Neville struck gold in the 100m to lead the Irish medal hauld. The Emerald AC starlet sped to glory in a time of 12.01 seconds in the final ahead of Poland’s Klaudia Adamek (12.16) and Norway’s Ingvild Meinseth (12.17).

Kevin McGrath cruises to 1500m gold

Kevin McGrath showed his class winning the 1500m in style at the European Youth Olympic Festival in Tbilisi.

The Bohermeen teenager won a tactical 1500m in 4:01.11. There was a cagey opening 800m and McGrath took control with just over 200m to go and showed superior leg speed to win the gold. Laura Ward (St Laurence O'Toole) finished 9th in the girls 1500m.

Carthy Walsh and Lecky leap to silver and bronze

Ryan Carthy Walsh (Adamstown AC) continued the Irish medal rush with a silver medal in the high jump with a best leap of 2.09m.Sommer Lecky added to the haul with a bronze medal in the high jump with a new personal best of 1.80m.

The Finn Valley youngster was in excellent form in 30 degrees heat and cleared the same height as eventual Ekaterina Prikhodkova of Russia – Lecky lost out on countback with Sweden’s Maja Helena Nilsson also clearing 1.80m for silver.

Gina Akpe-Moses snatches silver in the 200m

Gina Akpe-Moses (Blackrock, Louth) snatched a magnificent silver in a photo finish in the 200m in 24.49. Akpe-Moses finished on the same time as Czech Republic's Anna Kerbachova but was given the nod for silver on the photo finish after an anxious wait. The race was won by France's Marine Mignon in 24.07.

Scott agonsingly close to a medal 

Molly Scott (St Laurence O'Toole) came agonisingly close to a medal in the 100m hurdles final but had to settle for a fifth place finish in 13.85 – 1/100th of a second outside a medal . Russia's Kristina Kleshcheva won an exceptionally close race in 13.75, the same time as Latvia's silver medallist Paula Sprudzane. It was the same again with third and fourth place. Nika Glojnaric and Miriam Sinning both recorded 13.84 with Glojnaric getting the nod for bronze.  

Mitchell and Ryan best of the rest

Jamie Mitchell (Emerald) produced a personal best performance in the 400m final finishing fourth in 48.79. Daniel Ryan (Moycarkey Coolcroo) jumped a best of 6.84m in the last round of the long jump to finish fourth. Niamh Malone (Monaghan Phoenix) finished 6th in the 400m hurdles final in 63.44 seconds while Lauren O’Keeffe (Donore Harriers) was 7th in the hammer with a best of 53.75 and Arlene Crossan (Finn Valley) was 9th in the long jump with a best of 5.51m. Brendan O'Donnell (Lifford) finished 7th in the hammer final in 59.49m. Orlaith O'Brien (Ferrybank) had to deal with difficult conditions in the javelin and crosswinds led to her marks being outside the sector. 

The girls 4x100m team Molly Scott, Gina Akpe-Moses, Lauren Ryan (Dooneen), Ciara Neville combined expertly to qualify for the final as the fastest team in 45.96. Unfortunately Akpe-Moses pulled a hamstring in the final.  Arron McGlynn (Finn Valley} rounded out the team with a 7th place finish in the 800m final.