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Emer Purtill (Dooneen AC) has finished 14th in the Women\u2019s Heptathlon on the second day of competition at the European Athletics U18 Championships in Rieti, Italy.<\/p>\n
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The Limerick woman achieved personal bests in four of her seven events, adding over 100 points to her previous best on her way to scoring 5319 points. Purtill rounded out her championships with an 800m PB of 2:32.92 having this morning achieved a new Long Jump PB of 5.45m. She was fifth overall in the Javelin, one of her strongest events, with a throw of 45.23m.<\/p>\n
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In the Men\u2019s 1500m heats Charlie O\u2019Neill (Donore Harriers) booked his spot in Sunday\u2019s final despite being boxed in for much of the race. The Dubliner eventually managed to navigate his way out of trouble with around 150 metres to go, crossing the line fourth in 3:59.35. His compatriot Luke Merrigan (Leevale AC) missed out on the final by one place. With just six athletes to automatically progress in each heat, the Cork man was seventh in 4:00.52.<\/p>\n
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Earlier in the session evening Evelyn Kwik (Dundrum South Dublin AC) and Aisling Shevlin (Ratoath AC) competed in the semi-finals of the Women\u2019s 400m. Kwik was sixth in her semi-final, recording her second fastest ever time of 55.21, while Shevlin was seventh in her race in 56.16. Unfortunately, neither athlete advanced to the final.<\/p>\n
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Ethan Carr (Ballymena and Antrim AC) also competed well in his Men\u2019s 400m semi-final, clocking 48.76 from lane one to finish seventh, ultimately not enough to progress.<\/p>\n
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In the morning session, all three Irish 400m Hurdlers advanced to the semi-finals. Elle-Kate McRae (Midleton AC), Arron Whelan (Dunboyne AC) and Daniel Downey (Portlaoise AC) all impressed in their heats in the morning sunshine to seal their places in the next round tomorrow.<\/p>\n
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McRae shattered the Irish U18 record for the event, clocking 59.09 seconds to win her heat comfortably. This was the second-fastest qualifying time only bettered by Czechia\u2019s Linda Botkov\u00e1 who smashed the championship record by running 56.79 seconds.<\/p>\n
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\u201cI\u2019m ecstatic, so happy,\u201d McRae told Athletics Ireland afterwards. \u201cI really just wanted to go out there and execute the race, it all went to plan. Hopefully I can keep the momentum going into the semi-finals.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Whelan knocked nearly a second off his personal best to finish third in the opening heat of the Men\u2019s 400m Hurdles. The Dunboyne man still managed to look around down the home straight and ease down to the line, a sign that they\u2019re might be a faster time to come tomorrow.<\/p>\n
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Downey also made qualification look relatively easy finishing fourth in the final heat in 53.73, his second fastest ever time. The Laois man will look to get close to or better his 53.30 personal best tomorrow afternoon.<\/p>\n
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Isabelle Gaffney (West Waterford AC) and Tara-Rose Smith (Finn Valley AC) also made light work of the heats of the Women\u2019s 800m to qualify for tomorrow\u2019s semi-finals.<\/p>\n
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Gaffney looked assured in her heat finishing second in 2:10.60, while Smith\u2019s heat was the fastest, her time of 2:08.72 is her third fastest ever and just over a second outside her PB. She placed second in the race.<\/p>\n
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Tiffany Nwaedozie (Belgooly AC) and Christopher Olatunde (Ratoath AC) were both unfortunately unable to progress from their respective 200m heats, despite producing strong performances.<\/p>\n
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Nwaedozie was sixth in her heat of the Women\u2019s 200m crossing the line in 24.95 seconds, following a blistering start, while Olatunde missed out on a semi-final spot by just one hundredth of a second. Despite finishing seventh, the Meath man\u2019s heat was by far the fastest and his 21.66 clocking (second fastest ever) was agonisingly close to being enough to progress.<\/p>\n
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Five Irish athletes are in finals action tomorrow. Daniel Glennon (Mullingar Harriers) goes in the final of the Men\u2019s 5000m Race Walk, before Lucie Cawley (Sligo AC) and Ally Duffy (Tullamore Harriers) race in the final of the Women\u2019s 2000m Steeplechase in the morning session. Tomorrow evening Emma Hickey (United Striders AC) competes in a straight final of the Women\u2019s 1500m, before Tara Laverty (Carrick Aces AC) returns to the circle following her Irish U18 record yesterday to throw in the Women\u2019s Discus final.<\/p>\n
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Team Ireland Results Summary<\/p>\n
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Day Two \u2013 Morning Session \u2013 Friday July 17th<\/p>\n
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Emer Purtill \u2013 Women\u2019s Heptathlon \u2013 Long Jump \u2013 5.45m PB (686 points)Isabelle Gaffney \u2013 Women\u2019s 800m \u2013 Heat 1\/4 \u2013 2:10.60 Q (2nd)Tara Rose-Smith \u2013 Women\u2019s 800m \u2013 Heat 2\/4 \u2013 2:08.72 Q (2nd)Arron Whelan \u2013 Men\u2019s 400m Hurdles \u2013 Heat 1\/5 \u2013 53.13 PB Q (3rd)Daniel Downey \u2013 Men\u2019s 400m Hurdles \u2013 Heat 5\/5 \u2013 53.73 Q (4th)Tiffany Nwaedozie \u2013 Women\u2019s 200m \u2013 Heat 4\/5 \u2013 24.95 (6th, does not advance)Christopher Olatunde \u2013 Men\u2019s 200m \u2013 Heat 2\/5 \u2013 21.66 (7th, does not advance)Emer Purtill \u2013 Women\u2019s Heptathlon \u2013 Javelin Throw \u2013 45.23m (768 points)<\/p>\n
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Day Two \u2013 Evening Session \u2013 Friday July 17th<\/p>\n
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Evelyn Kwik \u2013 Women\u2019s 400m \u2013 SF 1\/3 \u2013 55.21 (6th, does not advance)Aisling Shevlin \u2013 Women\u2019s 400m \u2013 SF 2\/3 \u2013 56.16 (7th, does not advance)Ethan Carr \u2013 Men\u2019s 400m \u2013 SF 3\/3 \u2013 48.76 (7th, does not advance)Emer Purtill \u2013 Women\u2019s Heptathlon \u2013 800m \u2013 2:32.92 PB (657 points)Emer Purtill \u2013 Women\u2019s Heptathlon \u2013 5319 points PB (14th)Luke Merrigan \u2013 Men\u2019s 1500m \u2013 Heat 1\/2 \u2013 4:00.52 (7th, does not advance)Charlie O\u2019Neill \u2013 Men\u2019s 1500m \u2013 Heat 2\/2 \u2013 3:59.35 Q (4th)<\/p>\n
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Team Ireland Schedule: Irish Time (Local time in brackets)<\/p>\n
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Day Three \u2013 Morning Session \u2013 Saturday July 18th<\/p>\n
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Daniel Glennon \u2013 Men\u2019s 5000m Race Walk \u2013 Final \u2013 08:05 (09:05)Lucie Cawley \u2013 Women\u2019s 2000m Steeplechase \u2013 Final \u2013 08:45 (09:45)Ally Duffy \u2013 Women\u2019s 2000m Steeplechase \u2013 Final \u2013 08:45 (09:45)Tara-Rose Smith \u2013 Women\u2019s 800m \u2013 SF 1\/2 \u2013 09:07 (10:07)Kevin O\u2019Shea \u2013 Men\u2019s Javelin Throw \u2013 Qualification Group B \u2013 09:10 (10:10)Isabelle Gaffney \u2013 Women\u2019s 800m \u2013 SF 2\/2 \u2013 09:15 (10:15)<\/p>\n
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Day Three \u2013 Evening Session \u2013 Saturday July 18th<\/p>\n
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Daniel Downey \u2013 Men\u2019s 400m Hurdles \u2013 SF 1\/3 \u2013 16:20 (17:20)Arron Whelan \u2013 Men\u2019s 400m Hurdles \u2013 SF 3\/3 \u2013 16:36 (17:36)Elle-Kate McRae \u2013 Women\u2019s 400m Hurdles \u2013 SF 3\/3 \u2013 17:06 (18:06)Emma Hickey \u2013 Women\u2019s 1500m \u2013 Final \u2013 17:35 (18:35)Tara Laverty \u2013 Girls Discus Throw \u2013 Final \u2013 18:20 (19:20)<\/p>\n
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Where to watch<\/p>\n
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All four days of the European Athletics U18 Championships in Rieti are live on Eurovision Sport HERE<\/a>. Registration is required.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n