A HOST of new names emerged as Irish athletes shone at the European U23 Championships in Espoo, Finland on Thursday.
Four Irish athletes are assured of final places after a busy day both on the track and in the field.
Jack Raftery ran a personal best 45.89s to advance from the semi-finals of the 400m. That time was good enough for third place and automatic qualification for Friday’s final.
In the morning session, the Donore Harrier had recorded the then second fastest time of his career, 46.20s, to fill the runner-up position in his heat.
Ballymena & Antrim’s Callum Baird was eliminated after finishing fifth in his 400m preliminary with a 47.26s timing.
Irish record-holder Israel Olatunde made it through to Friday evening’s final of the 100m …. but only by the skin of his teeth.
The UCD athlete finished fourth in his semi-final, recording a season’s best of 10.32s (+1.0 m/s) which saw him advance as the second non-automatic qualifier for the final.
Olatunde’s semi was won in a championship record of 10.04s by Welsh sprinter Jeremiah Azu.
Olatunde had finished third in his preliminary round 100m heat in the morning, clocking 10.55s (-1.9), while Oliver Swinney from Ballymoney exited with a 10.66 (+0.2) timing in seventh place of his heat.
Longford’s Adeyemi Talabi also went out in the opening round of the women’s 100m recording 11.95s (-1.3) in fifth spot with only the first three guaranteed of qualification.
Tullamore Harrier Ava O’Connor progressed to the 3000m steeplechase final recording a personal best 10:02.92s for seventh place in her semi and grabbing one of the eight automatic spots for Saturday's final.
The morning session had brought mixed fortunes for the other Irish representatives.
UCD’s Nicola Tuthill positioned herself as a medal contender when she headed the second qualifying pool of the women’s hammer after throwing an impressive 66.23m.
However, Reece Ademola was well below his best, finishing ninth in his qualifying pool of the long jump with a 6.99m mark.
The Leevale athlete seemed to have chosen a bad time for this jump achieved into a 3.9m wind, whereas others were jumping in almost much more still conditions. A basic error perhaps.
There was an Irish involvement in one of the only two finals contested on the opening day, with Jane Buckley taking ninth in the women’s 5000m.
The Leevale Harrier was well-placed in a relatively slow race until Scot Megan Keith from Inverness made a long break for home with over five laps remaining, crossing the finish line in 15:34.33s.
Buckley’s time of 16:02.22s was over 20 seconds outside of her best, set earlier this season, as Great Britain were denied a one-two finish when the other Scot in the field Eloise Walker collapsed obviously exhausted on the home straight.
Oisin Lane finished 14th in the 20K walk held on Wednesday evening. The University of Limerick student covered the distance in one hour 29 minutes and 11 seconds in a contest won by Spain’s Paul McGrath, whose father is reportedly from Dublin.
Raftery in the 400m and Tuthill in the hammer both look capable of taking medals on Friday’s second day of competition.
A podium place looks a tall order for Olatunde, slowest qualifier of the eight finalists in the 100m.
No less than nine finals are set to be decided as the championships which last until Sunday switch into overdrive.
