LAST UPDATE | 3 Mar 2023
Updated at 19.20
KATE O’CONNOR AND Luke McCann have secured top-10 finishes in their respective finals at the European Indoor Champions in Istanbul.
O’Connor was ninth in the pentathlon, the Dundalk St Gerard’s star missing out on breaking her own national record by just 43 points in another excellent multi-event display.
The Commonwealth Games Heptathlon medallist started her competition with a 8.64 in the 60m hurdles before following up with a 1.74m clearance in the high jump. O’Connor completed her morning session on a high with a personal best of 14.37m in the shot putt to leave her sitting in eighth place ahead of her final two events this evening.
The 22-year-old recorded 5.91m in the long jump, which was just marginally off her PB, and clocked 2:20.08 in the 800m, signing off with a total of 4353 points.
Belgium’s Nafissatou Thiam won it out with a world-record haul of 5055, while Adrianna Sulek of Poland and another Belgian, Noor Vidts, completed the podium places with 5014 and 4823 points respectively.
McCann, meanwhile, finished 10th in a star-studded 1500m final in a time of 3.44.55.
The UCD athlete put in an impressive display but faded, as Norway superstar Jakob Ingebrigtsen reigned supreme, taking gold in a time of 3:33.95. Great Britain’s Neil Gourley (3:34.23) took silver, with Azeddine Habz of France (3:35.39) home third.
Sharlene Mawdsley fell short in her bid for a place in Saturday’s 400m.
Hoping to secure one of the top three qualifying places, the Irish athlete finished with a time of 53.37, below her personal best of 51.91, in a race that was won by the Netherlands’ Femke Bol, who clocked a time of 52.19.
The world record holder, who shattered the four-decade-old world record at her national championships last month, won at a stroll and will be a hot favourite for the final.
The time was almost three seconds slower than her world record of 49.26.
Her Swiss coach Laurent Meuwly told AFP on the eve of the championships that the 23-year-old Dutch athlete, already a world silver medallist and Olympic bronze medallist in the 400m hurdles, had big ambitions.
“She wants to write history, to perhaps become the most bemedalled athlete in Europe, or even more,” he said.
“Her world record is faster than Allyson Felix’s best time outdoors, so it makes you think because Felix is probably the greatest female athlete in history.”
Mawdsley had earlier advanced to the semi-final. The Newport AC athlete placed sixth in the heats overall, clocking a time of 52.59 to come home second behind Austrian Gogl-Walli.
National 400m champion Sophie Becker (Raheny Shamrock) finished third in her heat in a time of 53.43, which was not enough to see her progress.
Speaking after the race she said: “It’s always an honour to wear the green singlet and to represent the country but it’s nice to be happier with your performance. Hopefully I’ll be back for the relay on Sunday.”
Cliodhna Manning (Kilkenny City Harriers) was last of the Irish 400m trio to take to the track this morning. Manning clocked a personal best of 54.21 but the fifth place finish was not enough for her to advance.
Joan Healy (Leevale AC) rounded out Irish involvement in this morning’s session, clocking a 7.41 in the heats of the 60m. The fifth-place finish was one place off advancing to the afternoon’s semi-final as an automatic qualifier.
Ireland’s fastest man Israel Olatunde returns to European competition tomorrow, facing a tricky set of 60m heats early on Saturday morning (6.27am). Should Olatunde safely negotiate round 1, the UCD sprinter will be back on track for the semi-final at 3.45pm.
Darragh McElhinney and Sarah Lavin will also be in 3000m and 60m hurdles action tomorrow.
- Additional reporting by AFP
