Top 8 performances for Irish relay teams

The Irish women’s and men’s 4x400m relay teams ran with great spirit to finish 6th and 7th respectively in their finals at the European U23 Athletics Championships in Bydgoszcz, Poland today (July 16).

Irish action on the final day of the championships got underway with Sarah McCarthy (Mid Sutton) in the women’s long jump final where she produced a best of 6.21m to finish 11th.

As per championship programmes, the 4x400m relays rounded out the competition and the Irish women gave a spirited display to finish 6th in 3:34.87.

Sophie Becker (St Joseph’s) got them underway handing over to Cliodhna Manning (Kilkenny City Harriers) and on to Jenna Bromell (Emerald) who passed over to Siofra Cleirigh Buttner on anchor.

The men’s 4x400m team of Craig Newell (Ballymena & Antrim), Harry Purcell (Trim), Karl Griffin (UCD) and Andrew Mellon (Crusaders) had to settle with a time of 3:08.64 in 7th on tired legs after the previous day’s heroics.  

You can watch video interviews with both teams on the Athletics Ireland Facebook page HERE

This concluded the Irish teams participation in the championships where there were finalists in the women’s 800m with Alanna Lally (UCD) fourth and Siofra Cleirigh Buttner (DSD) 7th, Barry Keane (Waterford) 12th in the men’s 5,000m final Sarah McCarthy in the long jump in 11th and the two 4x400m relay teams – the women 6th and the men 7th.

It proved to be a very productive championships with Bydgoszcz a brilliant venue for the event.

Results

European Athletics Championships, Bydgoszcz, Poland

Women

Long jump final

11 Sarah McCarthy (Mid Sutton) 6.21m

4x400m relay final

6th Ireland (Sophie Becker, Cliodhna Manning, Jenna Bromell, Siofra Cleirigh Buttner) 3:34.87

Men

4x400m relay final

7th Ireland (Craig Newell, Harry Purcell, Karl Griffin, Andrew Mellon) 3:08.64