The competition kicked off at the European Games in Krakow, Poland today, with athletics being the sole sport on the programme on the first day. Doubling up as the European Team Championships, Team Ireland’s 44-strong athletics team are competing in the event with the main objective of moving out of Division 3. Between the 20th of June and the 2nd of July 121 Team Ireland athletes will be competing in events across seventeen sports.
ATHLETICS
Team Ireland currently sits in second position in the Division Three standings after the first twelve events, three points behind leaders Austria. This is the first of three days of competition for the athletics team, with some of the biggest names in Irish athletics named on the team.
One of the standout performances from an Irish perspective came from Bandon woman Nicola Tuthill in the Hammer Throw. Tuthill threw a huge lifetime best in the first round to improve her national U23 record in the event to 67.85m. The throw was good enough to secure the teenager a second-place finish, earning valuable points in the process.
I’m delighted with that,” she said after the event. “I had a pretty consistent performance so I’m really happy with that. It’s my first senior international. It’s such a nice atmosphere, everyone’s just rooting for you.”
Sharlene Mawdsley got the Irish involvement at these European Games off to an excellent start when she took victory in the Women’s 400m to earn a maximum fifteen points for the team. The Tipperary native was a class above the rest as she crossed the line in 51.55.
“I’m delighted that I was able to kick the team off and start it this way, it’s amazing,” she said.
In the Men’s 400m Jack Raftery finished third in 46.76.
Kilkenny’s Aoibhe Richardson tackled the gruelling twelve and a half lap 5000m race, finishing in third running 16.45.02.
Lisburn athlete Lauren Roy and Dundalk’s Israel Olatunde both ran strongly in the 100m. Roy finished third in 11.82, while Olatunde finished in second just outside his season’s best as he clocked 10.37.
Rocco Zaman-Browne crossed the line in third in the Men’s 800m in a respectable 1.50.16, while Sligo’s Finley Daly finished just outside his personal best in the Men’s 3000m Steeplechase placing second in a time of 8.51.41.
Mayo’s Michaela Walsh finished second in the Shot Put, Dubliner Niamh Fogarty was fourth in the discus, Jai Benson finished seventh in the Triple Jump, while Wexford’s Michael Bowler was fourth in the Pole Vault.
RESULTS – 20th of June 2023
Athletics
Sharlene Mawdsley – 1st – Women’s 400m – 51.55
Jack Raftery – 3rd – Men’s 400m – 46.76
Aoibhe Richardson – 3rd – Women’s 5000m – 16.45.02
Rocco Zaman-Browne – 3rd – Men’s 800m – 1.50.16
Finley Daly – 2nd – Men’s 3000m Steeplechase – 8.51.41
Lauren Roy – 3rd – Women’s 100m – 11.82
Israel Olatunde – 2nd – Men’s 100m – 10.37
Michaela Walsh – 2nd – Women’s Shot Put – 15.26m
Niamh Fogarty – 4th – Women’s Discus – 51.24m
Jai Benson – 7th – Men’s Triple Jump – 14.84m
Michael Bowler – 4th – Men’s Pole Vault – 4.30m
Nicola Tuthill – 2nd – Women’s Hammer Throw – 67.85m (NU23R)
SCHEDULE – 21st of June 2023
(all times in Irish time, with local time in brackets):
Athletics (Silesian Stadium):
08:40 (09:40) Men’s Long Jump (Reece Ademola)
08:55 (09:55) Women’s Pole Vault (Ellie McCartney)
09:05 (10:05) Men’s 110m Hurdles (James Ezeonu)
09:08 (10:08) Men’s Discus Throw (Colin Quirke)
09:25 (10:25) Women’s 100m Hurdles (Sarah Lavin)
10:02 (11:02) Women’s 800m (Louise Shanahan)
10:20 (11:20) Men’s 1500m (Cathal Doyle)
10:40 (11:40) Women’s 400m Hurdles (Kelly McGrory)
10:45 (11:45) Women’s Triple Jump (Saragh Buggy)
11:05 (12:05) Men’s 400m Hurdles (Thomas Barr)
11:16 (12:16) Men’s Hammer Throw (Sean Mockler)
11:30 (12:30) Women’s 4 x 100m Relay (Lauren Roy, Phil Healy, Sarah Lavin, Adeyemi Talabi, Joan Healy, Sarah Leahy, Mollie O’Reilly)
11:50 (12:50) Men’s 4 x 100m Relay (Israel Olatunde, Mark Smyth, Oliver Swinney, Christopher Sibanda, Joseph Ojewumi, Nelvin Appiah)
BMX (Krzeszowice BMX Park)
14:45 (15:45) Men’s Group 2 Qualification Heat 5 (Ryan Henderson)
12 to qualify for final.
Padel KSOS Club
07:00 (08:00) Men’s Doubles (Sam McKibbon & Sean Neave) Round 1 IRELAND V ALBANIA *Exact times to be confirmed later
10:00 (11:00) Women’s Doubles (Jennifer Claffey & Susan McRann) Round 1 IRELAND V GERMANY *Exact times to be confirmed later
OPENING CEREMONY
20:00 (21:00) Opening Ceremony – Henryk Reyman Stadium
