DAY 3: ADELEKE SECURES 5TH IN EUROPE IN A NEW NATIONAL 400M RECORD

POSTED:

Ireland’s Rhasidat Adeleke has finished 5th in the 400m final at the European Athletics Championships in Munich tonight (Aug 17th). The 19-year-old, who was competing in only her 6th ever race over 400m, produced a stunning display to smash her own Irish record in a time of 50.53 in her first major final.

Running from the difficult inside lane, Adeleke powered away from the starting blocks using her 200m speed and was quickly on the shoulder of the Polish athlete in lane 2. Adeleke held her form superbly coming around the final bend and was right in contention for medals coming into the home straight. The Tallaght AC sprint star fought bravely to the line to smash yet another Irish national record. It’s continues a remarkable championships for the Irish team in Munich which has already seen five top tenplacings and two Irish records.

Adeleke will return to the track later this week with the women’s 4x400m relay team.

Tonight’s 400m medals went the way of Femke Bol (NED) 49.44, Natalia Kaczmarek (POL) 49.94, and  Anna Kielbasinska (POL) 50.29.

DAY 4

Day 4 of the European Athletics Championships will be another busy one for Team Ireland, with 9 athletes set to take to the track including Andrew Coscoran (1500m) and Roisin Flanagan (5000m) in their respective finals.

Steeplechasers Michelle Finn (Heat 1) and Eilish Flanagan (Heat 2) will be first of the Irish in action, both facing stiff tasks in making it to Saturday’s final with only 5 automatic qualification places up for grabs in each heat, along with the 5 fastest non-automatic qualifier places.

It will then be the turn of Ireland’s 800m duo to take to the track in 2014 European bronze medallist Mark English and 2021 national champion John Fitzsimons. It may be 8 years since English claimed that brilliant bronze in 2014, but the Finn Valley flyer has arguably looked better than ever this season, already boasting a 1:44.76 season’s best which ranks just outside his national record (1.44.71 from 2021).

With the first 3 advancing automatically from each heat, John Fitzsimons will also fancy his chances of making it to Friday’s semi-final, a feat that would be another huge accomplishment given the recurring injury issues he fought back from in 2020.

Irish 800m record holder, Louise Shanahan, will also be looking to advance from her 800m heat tomorrow morning. The Leevale AC star will take her place in the heat as one of the three athletes who has gone sub-2-minutes this season.

Thomas Barr will go in the first of the 400m hurdles semi-finals from 10.25am (Irish time) with the Ferrybank athlete facing another tough test from lane 8. Barr will line up against three athletes who have already gone sub 49 seconds this year, with one of them - Wilfried Happio of France, boasting a 47.41. Barr has been here before however and the Waterford athlete has been bullish all week about his pursuit of another major final appearance.

Marcus Lawler will round out the Irish in action in tomorrow’s morning session in the heats of the 200m.  Lawler will go from lane 4 and although coming into this week ranked 35th, the Tokyo Olympian is sure to be one of the strongest finishers in the field given his 400m exploits earlier this season.

Day 4 will round out with ‘final fever’ for the Irish in Munich, with Andrew Coscoran taking to the start line in an exceptionally strong looking 1500m final (8.05pm) sprinkled with quality athletes including Olympic champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen.

Coscoran is no stranger to the big occasion however, and experience gained at a European indoor final, as well as World and Olympic semi-finals are sure to see the Star of the Sea athlete produce another gritty display.

Roisin Flanagan will be the final Irish athlete to take to the track on Thursday, taking her place in strong looking women’s 5,000m final. Flanagan will look to carry in her recent sparkling form which saw her claim an outstanding 15:26.76PB at the Commonwealth Games earlier this month.

DAY 4: THURSDAY 15TH

Team Ireland European Championships

(Times listed in Irish Time)

Thursday 18th (Times listed in Irish time)

  • 8.20am Women’s 3000m SC Heat 1: Michele Finn (9:29.25)
  • 8.37am Women’s 3000m SC Heat 2: Eilish Flanagan (PB 9:34.86)
  • 9.17am Men’s 800m Heat 2: Mark English (PB 1:44.71)
  • 9.24am Men’s 800m Heat 3: John Fitzsimons (PB 1:45.66)
  • 9.59am Women’s 800m Heat 3: Louise Shanahan (PB 1:59.42)
  • 10.25am Men’s 400mH Semi Final 1: Thomas Barr (PB 47.97)
  • 11.30am Men’s 200m Heat 1: Marcus Lawler (PB 20.40)
  • 8.05pm Men’s 1500m Final: Andrew Coscoran (PB 3:35.66)
  • 8.25pm Women’s 5000m Final: Roisin Flanagan (PB 15:26.76)

Entry Lists and lull results: HERE

Where to watch: HERE

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