Gina Akpe-Moses of the Blackrock Co Louth club and Ciara Neville of Emerald AC have both made it through to the final of the 100m on the opening day of the European U20 Track and Field Championships in Grosseto, Italy.
Akpe Moses won her heat this morning and then finished second in her semi-final to assure her place. Her time of 11.56 secs in the semi-final equaled her personal best time run earlier this season. Neville finished second in her heat and third in her semi-final, going through as a fastest loser with her time of 11.79 secs.
Through to the men’s 400m semi finals is Chris O’Donnell who won his heat in 47.45 secs. Neither Leevale’s Charlie O’Donovan nor Darragh McElhinney of Bantry progressed from the 1500m heats.
Elizabeth Morland
In the women’s heptathlon, Elizabeth Morland, aged 19, lies seventh and Kate O’Connor, aged 16, is tenth after the opening day of competition. Morland picked up her best points in the hurdles, high jump and 200m; O’Connor’s strongest event was the high jump (1.78m). She also recorded a personal best 12.90m in the shot.
NOELLE LENIHAN, aged 17, has taken silver in the F37/F38 discus at the Para Athletics World Championships in London. Lenihan saved the best for last with a massive throw of 32.12m in sixth and final round – just .02m shy of her own F38 world record. Winner was China’s Mi Na, who is classified as F37, with a throw of 35.08m.
ON THE ROADS, John Coghlan of MSB and Orla Drumm of Crusaders led home over a thousand finishers at the annual St James’s Hosptial Liberties 4-Miel Road race in Dublin.
Women
100m: Ht 1, 5 Janine Boyle (Finn Valley) 12.18; Ht 2, 2 Ciara Neville (Emerald) 11.65, Ht 3, 1 , Gina Akpe-Moses (Blackrock Louth) 11.69. (Q) SF 2, 3 Neville 11.79 (q); SF 3, 2 Akpe-Moses 11.56 (=PB) (Q)
400m Ht 3, 5 Mollie O’Reilly (DSD) 54.996 (SB). 10k Walk:18 Niamh O’Connor (Celbridge) 53:36.84. Discus: Gp B: Niamh Fogarty (North Westmeath) 45.21m.
Heptathlon – Day 1: Elizabeth Morland (Cushinstown), Kate O’Connor (St Gerard’s Dundalk) – 100m H: Ht 1, 2 Elizabeth Morland 13.94 (987), Ht 3, 6 Kate O’Connor 15.06 (834). HJ: Gp A: 9 O’Connor 1.78 (953), 10 Morland 1.75 (916). Shot: Gp B: 1 O’Connor 12.90 (721); 6 Morland 11.47 (626). 200m: Ht 2, 1 Morland 24.76 (909), 4 O’Connor 25.24 (865) (PB). Standings after day 1: 1 Geraldine Ruckstuhl (SWI) 3646 pts, 2 Niamh Emerson (GBR) 3576, 3 Alina Shukl (Ukraine) 3566…7 Elizabeth Morland 3438, 10 Kate O’Connor 3373.
Men
400m – Ht 4,10 1 Chris O’Donnell (Nth Sligo) 47. 45 (Q). 1500m: Ht 1 6, Charlie O’Donovan (Leevale), 3:50.72, Ht 2, 11 Darragh McElhinney (Bantry) 3:53.15.
Thursday July 20
St James’s Hospital Liberties 4-Mile Fun Run, Kilmainham (1,004 finishers; www.championshipireland.com)
Men: 1 John Coghlan (MSB) 18.59, 2 Freddy Keron Sittuk (Raheny) 19.01, 3 Sean Hehir (Rathfarnham WSAF) 129.06. Women: 1 Orla Drumm (Crusaders) 22.37, 2 Ashley Ryan 23.57, 3 Katie O’Connor 25.49.
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