A 25-strong Irish team have arrived in Rieti, Italy ahead of the European Athletics U18 Championships that take place from Thursday to Sunday (July 16th to 19th).
A host of highly ranked athletes feature on the team, with some gaining their first international experience for their country at a major championship event.
Leading the team out on Thursday morning will be steeplechase athletes Lucie Cawley (Sligo AC) and Ally Duffy (Tullamore Harriers). Cawley competed at last year’s European Youth Olympic Festival in Skopje, North Macedonia and comes into these championships with the third fastest time in the field, her 6:41.13 clocking is the Irish U18 record for the 2000m steeplechase.
Emer Purtill (Dooneen AC) will have a busy two days of competition in the Heptathlon, taking part in seven events. Purtill achieved her personal best of 5206 points earlier this year.
Jack Collins (Tralee Harriers) smashed under the 1:52 barrier for 800m in Loughborough last month and will look to make an impact in the Boys 800m in his championship debut.
The opening evening session of the championships sees Irish U18 Discus Throw record holder Tara Laverty (Carrick Aces AC) step into the circle. Laverty has thrown over 46m on five occasions this year and has a best of 48.74m to her name.
Three 400m runners also take to the blocks on the opening day of competition with Ethan Carr (Ballymena and Antrim AC) racing in the Boys 400m heats, before Evelyn Kwik (Dundrum South Dublin AC) and Aisling Shevlin (Ratoath AC) settle into their blocks for the heats of the Girls 400m.
The second morning session will see Isabelle Gaffney (West Waterford AC) and Tara-Rose Smith (Finn Valley AC) race over two laps in the heats of the Girls 800m. Gaffney’s PB of 2:06.10 set in Belfast in May ranks her seventh of the entries in the event, with Smith also in the top ten.
Ireland’s 400m Hurdles resurgence at underage level sees three athletes compete in the event at these championships. Daniel Downey (Portlaoise AC) and Arron Whelan (Dunboyne AC) will be in action in the heats of the Boys event on Friday morning, quickly followed by Elle-Kate McRae (Midleton AC) in the Girls heats, an athlete who only made her debut in the event this year.
Tiffany Nwaedozie (Belgooly AC) and Christopher Olatunde (Ratoath AC) will conclude the morning session of day two from an Irish perspective when they race in the heats of the Girls and Boys 200m respectively. Nwaedozie impressed recently to win the Senior Girls 100m and 200m at the All-Ireland Schools Championships in Tullamore.
The Friday evening session will see two more Irish major championship debutants grace the track in Rieti. Charlie O’Neill (Donore Harriers) and Luke Merrigan (Leevale AC) race in the heats of the Boys 1500m, hoping to seal final spots.
Ireland’s second field-event athlete at these championships Kevin O’Shea (Farranfore Maine Valley AC) will be the first Irish athlete in action on day three. O’Shea will compete in Javelin Throw qualification, following an excellent season where he has thrown a personal best of 64.47m.
Daniel Glennon (Mullingar Harriers) will be the first of two Irish racewalkers to compete in Rieti when he goes in the final of the Boys 5000m Race Walk, an event in which Séamus Clarke (Moy Valley AC) medalled in two years ago.
With just twelve entries the Girls 1500m is set to be a straight final on Saturday evening and taking her place on the start line will be Emma Hickey (United Striders AC). Hickey medalled in the U20 Women’s race at last year’s European Athletics Cross Country Championships in Lagoa, Portugal and her 4:23.16 PB ranks her in the top half of the field.
The final morning session is set for Sunday, and three Irish athletes will race in finals. Leah O’Gara (Finn Valley AC) is first up in the Girls 5000m Race Walk and is followed by Ava Colreavy (Sligo AC) and Freya Renton (Westport AC) in the Girls 3000m final. Colreavy’s 9:28.60 clocking is the fifth fastest on the entry list, with Renton’s season’s best of 9:33.70 also putting her inside the top ten.
Both Ireland’s Girls and Boys medley relay teams will compete in the heats on Sunday morning and will have aspirations of making finals that evening. The last session is finals only and hopefully many Irish athletes will be in action vying for medal success.
Irish in Action – European Athletics U18 Championships – Rieti, Italy
Day One – Morning Session – Thursday July 16th
- Lucie Cawley – Girls 2000m Steeplechase – Round One – 07:35 (08:35)
- Ally Duffy – Girls 2000m Steeplechase – Round One – 07:35 (08:35)
- Emer Purtill – Girls Heptathlon – 100m Hurdles – 08:10 (09:10)
- Jack Collins – Boys 800m – Round One – 08:35 (09:35)
- Emer Purtill – Girls Heptathlon – High Jump – 10:15 (11:15)
Day One – Evening Session – Thursday July 16th
- Tara Laverty – Girls Discus Throw – Qualification Group A – 14:30 (15:30)
OR
- Tara Laverty – Girls Discus Throw – Qualification Group B – 16:15 (17:15)
- Emer Purtill – Girls Heptathlon – Shot Put – 15:05 (16:05)
- Ethan Carr – Boys 400m – Round One – 16:30 (17:30)
- Evelyn Kwik – Girls 400m – Round One – 17:10 (18:10)
- Aisling Shevlin – Girls 400m – Round One – 17:10 (18:10)
- Emer Purtill – Girls Heptathlon – 200m – 18:00 (19:00)
Day Two – Morning Session – Friday July 17th
- Emer Purtill – Girls Heptathlon – Long Jump – 07:35 (08:35)
- Isabelle Gaffney – Girls 800m – Round One – 08:20 (09:20)
- Tara-Rose Smith – Girls 800m – Round One – 08:20 (09:20)
- Daniel Downey – Boys 400m Hurdles – Round One – 09:00 (10:00)
- Arron Whelan – Boys 400m Hurdles – Round One – 09:00 (10:00)
- Elle-Kate McRae – Girls 400m Hurdles – Round One – 09:40 (10:40)
- Emer Purtill – Girls Heptathlon – Javelin – Group A – 10:20 (11:20)
OR
- Emer Purtill – Girls Heptathlon – Javelin – Group B – 11:30 (12:30)
- Tiffany Nwaedozie – Girls 200m – Round One – 10:25 (11:25)
- Christopher Olatunde – Boys 200m – Round One – 11:15 (12:15)
Day Two – Evening Session – Friday July 17th
- Evelyn Quik – Girls 400m – SF – 16:10 (17:10) *
- Aisling Shevlin – Girls 400m – SF – 16:10 (17:10) *
- Ethan Carr – Boys 400m – SF – 16:40 (17:40) *
- Jack Collins – Boys 800m – SF – 18:00 (19:00) *
- Emer Purtill – Girls Heptathlon – 800m – 18:25 (19:25)
- Charlie O’Neill – Boys 1500m – Round One – 18:50 (19:50)
- Luke Merrigan – Boys 1500m – Round One – 18:50 (19:50)
Day Three – Morning Session – Saturday July 18th
- Kevin O’Shea – Boys Javelin Throw – Qualification Group A – 07:55 (08:55)
OR
- Kevin O’Shea – Boys Javelin Throw – Qualification Group B – 09:10 (10:10)
- Daniel Glennon – Boys 5000m Race Walk – Final – 08:05 (09:05)
- Lucie Cawley – Girls 2000m Steeplechase – Final – 08:45 (09:45) *
- Ally Duffy – Girls 2000m Steeplechase – Final – 08:45 (09:45) *
- Isabelle Gaffney – Girls 800m – SF – 09:07 (10:07) *
- Tara-Rose Smith – Girls 800m – SF – 09:07 (10:07) *
- Tiffany Nwaedozie – Girls 200m – SF – 11:00 (12:00) *
- Christopher Olatunde – Boys 200m – SF – 11:30 (12:30) *
Day Three – Evening Session – Saturday July 18th
- Daniel Downey – Boys 400m Hurdles – SF – 16:20 (17:20) *
- Arron Whelan – Boys 400m Hurdles – SF – 16:20 (17:20) *
- Elle-Kate McRae – Girls 400m Hurdles – SF – 16:50 (17:50) *
- Evelyn Kwik – Girls 400m – Final – 17:20 (18:20) *
- Aisling Shevlin – Girls 400m – Final – 17:20 (18:20) *
- Emma Hickey – Girls 1500m – Final – 17:35 (18:35)
- Ethan Carr – Boys 400m – Final – 17:55 (18:55) *
- Tiffany Nwaedozie – Girls 200m – Final – 18:10 (19:10) *
- Tara Laverty – Girls Discus Throw – Final – 18:20 (19:20) *
- Christopher Olatunde – Boys 200m – Final – 18:25 (19:25) *
- Jack Collins – Boys 800m – Final – 18:55 (19:55) *
Day Four – Morning Session – Sunday July 19th
- Leah O’Gara – Girls 5000m Race Walk – Final – 08:00 (09:00)
- Ava Colreavy – Girls 3000m – Final – 09:05 (10:05)
- Freya Renton – Girls 3000m – Final – 09:05 (10:05)
- Girls Medley Relay – Round One – 09:25 (10:25)
- Boys Medley Relay – Round One – 10:15 (11:15)
Day Four – Evening Session – Sunday July 19th
- Daniel Downey – Boys 400m Hurdles – Final – 16:25 (17:25) *
- Arron Whelan – Boys 400m Hurdles – Final – 16:25 (17:25) *
- Elle-Kate McRae – Girls 400m Hurdles – Final – 16:45 (17:45) *
- Charlie O’Neill – Boys 1500m – Final – 17:00 (18:00) *
- Luke Merrigan – Boys 1500m – Final – 17:00 (18:00) *
- Kevin O’Shea – Boys Javelin Throw – Final – 17:15 (18:15) *
- Isabelle Gaffney – Girls 800m – Final – 17:45 (18:45) *
- Tara-Rose Smith – Girls 800m – Final – 17:45 (18:45) *
- Girls Medley Relay – Final – 18:00 (19:00) *
- Boys Medley Relay – Final – 18:15 (19:15) *
*Subject to advancing
Local times in brackets
Where to watch?
The European Athletics U18 Championships will be available to watch on the Eurovision Sport website HERE and app. An account which you can register for free for is required.
