Rome, June 7th, 2024 - The morning session of the European Athletics Championships in Rome witnessed stellar performances from Irish athletes amidst the historic backdrop of the Olympic Stadium. With temperatures soaring into the high 20s and eventually reaching 31 degrees by 1 PM local time, the sweltering stage was set.
In the first women's 1500m semi-final, Ciara Mageean put in a huge performance to secure a spot in the final, finishing 3rd in the first heat with a time of 4:06:81. The race was fiercely contested, with Team GB's Jemma Reekie coming 1st in a close finish, clocking 4:06:68. Mageean's impressive performance sets the stage for an exciting final on Sunday at 9:40 PM Irish time.
Joining Mageean in the final is fellow Irish athlete Sarah Healy, who navigated her way through a challenging race in the second heat. Healy crossed the line in 4th place with a time of 4:12:30, ensuring her presence in the highly anticipated final for Irish fans on Sunday. The race witnessed a dramatic moment as local favorite Marta Zenoni fell, failing to finish.
However, it was a bittersweet morning for Mark English, who just missed out on a spot in the men's 800m final. Despite a valiant effort, English finished fifth in his heat with a time of 1:46:73 against a very competitive field of athletes.
Similarly, Michelle Finn encountered a tough challenge in the women's 3000m steeplechase. Despite finishing at the back of the field in the first heat, Finn nevertheless delivered a season's best time of 9:46.93.
Looking ahead to the evening session, Irish fans have more to anticipate as Eric Favors will compete in the shot put, Israel Olatunde in the Men’s 100m heats, and the Mixed 4x400m Relay and Jodie McCann in the Women’s 5000m final.
Image courtesy of Eric Bellamy, Shutter Dublin