Irish athletics enjoyed another outstanding weekend on the international stage, with Mark English and Sarah Healy producing career-best performances at the London Diamond League, while Ireland’s next generation of stars claimed a remarkable medal haul at the European Athletics U18 Championships in Rieti, Italy.
Athletics
London Diamond League
- Mark English delivered one of the finest performances of his career as he smashed his 800m personal best to finish second at the London Diamond League on Saturday. The Donegal athlete clocked a stunning 1:42.97, dipping below the 1:43 mark for the first time and becoming just the latest Irish athlete to underline the country’s growing strength in middle-distance running. The performance takes almost half a second off the previous personal best he set in Hungary last year.
- There was further Irish success on the track as Sarah Healy claimed third place in the women’s 3,000m. Healy took more than a second off her personal best, crossing the line in an excellent 8:25.63 to continue her impressive season.
- National record holder Cian McPhillips also impressed in the high-quality field, finishing seventh in a season’s best time of 1:43.97. The performance ranks as the third-fastest 800m of McPhillips’ career.
European Athletics U18 Championships in Rieti, Italy
- Ireland celebrated a breakthrough moment at the European Athletics U18 Championships as EYOF athlete Lucie Cawley (Sligo AC) secured the nation’s first-ever steeplechase medal at the championships. The 16-year-old produced the race of her life in the women’s 2000m steeplechase final, claiming silver in a superb Irish U18 record time of 6:36.22. Cawley’s performance saw her improve her previous best by almost five seconds and further established her reputation as one of Ireland’s most exciting young distance talents.
- Fellow EYOF athlete Emma Hickey (United Striders AC) delivered a composed and tactical display to secure silver in the women’s 1500m. Competing in a straight final, the Wexford athlete remained in contention throughout, holding a strong position on the inside before making her move at exactly the right moment. With 150 metres remaining, Hickey found herself in a fierce battle for the medals alongside France’s Celeste Lardon and Germany’s Mila Klein, but produced a powerful finishing kick to pull clear in the closing stages. Her time of 4:24.90 was her third-fastest ever performance and earned her a second major international medal, following the bronze she won in the U20 women’s race at last year’s European Cross Country Championships.
- Ireland’s medal tally continued to grow on the final day of competition thanks to Isabelle Gaffney (West Waterford AC), who claimed bronze in the women’s 800m. The 16-year-old executed her race plan superbly, equalling her personal best of 2:06.10 to secure a place on the podium. Gaffney found herself competing in a separate battle for the medals behind Slovenia’s Živa Remic, who dominated the race and broke the championship record. The Irish athlete held her nerve to claim an impressive bronze and add to Ireland’s successful championships campaign.
Table Tennis
There was also international success in table tennis as EYOF athlete Peadar Sheridan claimed a bronze medal at the European Youth Championships.
Sheridan partnered Sweden’s Emil Ellerman in the Under-15 Boys Doubles event, with the pair battling their way to the podium in a highly competitive field.
The achievement sees Sheridan become only the second Irish player ever to win a medal at the European Youth Championships, following Sophie Earley, who collected three medals across the 2021 and 2022 editions.