Women\u2019s heptathlon, 800m: Kate O\u2019Connor (3rd; 1st overall)<\/p>\n
Men\u2019s 10,000m: Jack O\u2019Leary (10th)<\/p>\n
Men\u2019s 1,500m final: Andrew Coscoran (3rd)<\/p>\n
Men\u2019s 4x100m relay final: Toluwabori Akinola, Sean Aigboboh, Marcus Lawler, Israel Olatunde (8th)<\/p>\n
Women\u2019s 4x100m relay final: Lucy-May Sleeman, Ciara Neville, Sarah Leahy, Lauren Roy (7th)<\/p>\n
European Aquatics Championships:<\/p>\n
Wrap report<\/a><\/p>\n Women\u2019s 200m IM final: Ellen Walshe (1st)<\/p>\n Men\u2019s 50m freestyle semi-finals: Tom Fannon (6th; qualified for final)<\/p>\n Women\u2019s 50m breaststroke semi-finals: Mona McSharry (7th; qualified for final)<\/p>\n Men\u2019s 1,500m freestyle final: Daniel Wiffen (8th)<\/p>\n Women\u2019s 200m butterfly semi-finals: Ellen Walshe (5th; qualified for final)<\/p>\n That\u2019s all from me for tonight. What a few hours, between the pool and track.<\/p>\n We\u2019re three medals richer, Ellen Walshe, Kate O\u2019Connor and Andrew Coscoran all getting themselves on the podium with phenomenal performances. <\/p>\n Ian O\u2019Riordan will have a wrap of the evening\u2019s athletics action shortly, keep an eye on The Irish Times website<\/a> for that, while Michael Scully sums up the swimming here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Just one more day of these championships left. We\u2019ll miss them when they\u2019re gone.<\/p>\n Night all!<\/p>\n Great handoff to Neville, but they\u2019re well back by the time it gets to Roy for the anchor leg.<\/p>\n Ireland finish seventh. Britain win gold, followed by Switzerland and Poland in second and third.<\/p>\n Fourth goes to Italy, then it\u2019s Belgium, Hungary, Ireland and Portugal.<\/p>\n We\u2019re ready to go. Huge cheer for Ireland. Andrew Coscoran was right, it sounds like there\u2019s more Irish than British there. <\/p>\n Britain the favourites in this event though. Dina Asher-Smith leads them out in lane seven.<\/p>\n And they\u2019re off.<\/p>\n The teams are on the track for the women\u2019s 4x100m relay final.<\/p>\n Lucy-May Sleeman on the opening leg for Ireland, starting in lane two.<\/p>\n Ireland\u2019s four runners in the 4x100m relay final will be Lucy-May Sleeman, Ciara Neville, Sarah Leahy, Lauren Roy.<\/p>\n Separately, the organisers have just confirmed all of this evening\u2019s remaining medal ceremonies have been postponed, so Kate O\u2019Connor\u2019s medal ceremony moves to tomorrow.<\/p>\n Down to our last event of the evening in Birmingham, the women\u2019s 4x100m relay.<\/p>\n Katie Bergin, Sarah Leahy, Ciara Neville, Mollie O\u2019Reilly, Lauren Roy, Molly Scott, Lucy-May Sleeman make up the relay squad, we\u2019ll confirm what quartet will run shortly.<\/p>\n So the Irish men\u2019s relay team finish eighth in 40.26.<\/p>\n Britain took the win in 38.45, just 0.06 seconds between Germany and Belgium in second and third.<\/p>\n The Netherlands were fourth, Italy fifth, with Poland and Greece taking sixth and seventh respectively.<\/p>\n They\u2019re away.<\/p>\n Akinola hands off poorly to Sean Aigboboh.<\/p>\n He has a strong leg to reach Marcus Lawler, who passes over to Israel Olatunde.<\/p>\n A disappointing run all in. All fell apart at the first handover.<\/p>\n Britain take gold, followed by Germany and Belgium in silver and bronze.<\/p>\n Just the two 4x100m relays left to run now, and Ireland have lanes in both.<\/p>\n First up, the men.<\/p>\n Toluwabori Akinola, Sean Aigboboh, Marcus Lawler and Israel Olatunde line out for Ireland. Akinola will kick things off in lane three.<\/p>\n Here we go, warm words between Andrew Coscoran and David Gillick\u2019s after the Dubliner\u2019s bronze in the 1,500m.<\/p>\n “Hard work eventually pays off!”<\/p>\n “I’ve been working so hard for this for so long.”<\/p>\n A delighted Andrew Coscoran revels in his bronze medal win in the 1500m final with David Gillick.<\/p>\n Watch live on RT\u00c92 and RT\u00c9 Player. pic.twitter.com\/Qw38J961QD<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 RT\u00c9 Sport (@RTEsport) August 15, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n In all the madness, we haven\u2019t had a chance to hear from our latest golden girl: Kate O\u2019Connor.<\/p>\n Here she is talking to David Gillick after picking up her medal for the heptathlon:<\/p>\n “When I heard cheers like that for me going around those two laps, there was no way I was going to let that gold medal slip through my fingers.”<\/p>\n Kate O’Connor talks to David Gillick after securing European gold in the heptathlon. <\/p>\n Watch live on RT\u00c92 and RT\u00c9 Player. pic.twitter.com\/6ye47GKmh6<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 RT\u00c9 Sport (@RTEsport) August 15, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n We\u2019ll get a clip of our latest medallist Andrew Coscoran shortly.<\/p>\n Gold goes to Stefan Nillessen of the Netherland\u2019s, Sweden\u2019s Samuel Pihlstrom takes silver, and Andrew Coscoran takes bronze.<\/p>\n What a night.<\/p>\n Andrew Coscoran takes bronze!<\/p>\n What a finish, he came from nowhere down the home straight!<\/p>\n The field bunches up and Coscoran is stuck in the middle of it. He needs to find a gap out.<\/p>\n They take the bell, Jake Heyward takes the lead from Nord\u00e5s.<\/p>\n Coscoran in seventh as they hit 500 meters. Narve Gilje Nord\u00e5s leads.<\/p>\n And they\u2019re off. Coscoran sticks to the outside.<\/p>\n Andrew Coscoran is next up for Team Ireland, running in the final of the men\u2019s 1,500m.<\/p>\n Strong close for Jack O\u2019Leary, he finishes 10th in 28:24.89, a season best.<\/p>\n Andreas Amgren takes gold for Sweden. The lapped runners decide to push on for their last lap, so it\u2019s a bit of a packed moment as he crosses the finish line.<\/p>\n Dominic Lokinyomo Lobalu of Switzerland takes silver, with France\u2019s Jimmy Fressier crossing for bronze.<\/p>\n No sign of Andreas Amgren slowing. He\u2019s got the bell for the final lap.<\/p>\n Jack O\u2019Leary is still on course for a top-10 finish, he\u2019s doing really well here.<\/p>\n Andreas Amgren having it his way out in front, creating space from the other leaders.<\/p>\n He hits the 8,000-meter mark in 22:34.48 and doesn\u2019t look in a bit of bother while the rest of the field really seem to be going to the well.<\/p>\n Amgren is about to lap the main group containing Jack O\u2019Leary.<\/p>\n Jack O\u2019Leary sits 16th. <\/p>\n Mike Foppen pulls out from the leading group who were moving at a blistering pace he couldn\u2019t live with. Four out in front now, still led by Andreas Almgren , with nine laps to go.<\/p>\n Crazy pace in the front group, five runners still led by Andreas Almgren. They get to 5,000m in 14:05.7.<\/p>\n Jack O\u2019Leary has slipped back a bit as the speed continues to wind up. The Mullingar man is in the second group, with an 11-strong group out in front.<\/p>\n At the 4,000m-mark, Andreas Almgren still holds the lead. They hit it at 11:24.9.<\/p>\n The field has really stretched out now, three distinct splits. O\u2019Leary still in the second group.<\/p>\n Sweden\u2019s Almgren takes over the lead and ups the tempo considerably. They hit 2,000m in 6:05.6.<\/p>\n Jack O\u2019Leary tracking well, still sitting in the middle of the pack.<\/p>\n Very slow pace to start but picks up from the 500-meter mark. They hit 1,000m in 3:16.9.<\/p>\n Mike Foppen of the Netherlands out in front. Jack O\u2019Leary well positioned in the upper middle of the field.<\/p>\n And they\u2019re off. Twenty-five laps.<\/p>\n O\u2019Leary in the outer group, tucks in somewhere around the middle of the 25-strong field when they join up around the first bend.<\/p>\n Next up for Ireland is Jack O\u2019Leary in the men\u2019s 10,000m.<\/p>\n Huge cheer again as he\u2019s introduced to the Birmingham crowd.<\/p>\n Two gold medals for Ireland in a single evening. What a night for Irish sport, and we\u2019re not done yet; Jack O\u2019Leary, Andrew Coscoran and the two relay teams still to come.<\/p>\n Kate O\u2019Connor does her lap of honour around Alexander Stadium, and you\u2019d swear it was Santry, a phenomenal Irish sport in full voice for the 25-year-old.<\/p>\n That was such a composed 800m from O\u2019Connor. Oosterwegel looked to push her to burn out, but O\u2019Connor held her nerve and stuck with her.<\/p>\n A World silver medallist, Commonwealth champion, European champion. LA can\u2019t come soon enough.<\/p>\n KATE O’CONNOR IS A EUROPEAN GOLD MEDALLIST! <\/p>\n Not only that, she’s beaten the Irish national record. <\/p>\n She has well and truly written herself into the history books.<\/p>\n Watch all the action on RT\u00c92 and RT\u00c9 Player. pic.twitter.com\/ydRy8ILcRL<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 RT\u00c9 Sport (@RTEsport) August 15, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n Confirmation of the medals:<\/p>\n Gold: Kate O\u2019Connor (Ireland) \u2013 6,751 points<\/p>\n Silver: Emma Oosterwegel (Netherlands) \u2013 6,713 points<\/p>\n Bronze: Sofie Dokter (Netherlands) \u2013 6,664<\/p>\n Kate O\u2019Connor is European Champion!<\/p>\n A third-place finish in the 800m sees her earn an Irish heptathlon record of 6,751 points for the gold medal.<\/p>\n They take the bell. Oosterwegel first, O\u2019Connor second.<\/p>\n O\u2019Connor powers around the final bend, she\u2019s now third but she\u2019s still with Oosterwegel.<\/p>\n She holds the gap, KATE O\u2019CONNOR HOLDS ON FOR GOLD!<\/p>\n O\u2019Connor\u2019s on the inside of the track so she springs off to avoid being boxed in. Comfortable pace to start, she slots in second behind Oosterwegel.<\/p>\n The second heat are out on the track, Kate O\u2019Connor alongside second-place Emma Oosterwegel on the inside of the track.<\/p>\n The 10 athletes in the heat are about to be introduced to the crowd and then we\u2019ll be ready for road.<\/p>\n Third-place Sofie Dokter, 71 points off O\u2019Connor, is also in this heat.<\/p>\n Huge roar for O\u2019Connor when\u2019s she\u2019s introduced.<\/p>\n And they\u2019re off.<\/p>\n The first 800m running is just over. Ad\u00e9la Tk\u00e1cov\u00e1 of the Czech Republic was first home in 2:13.07, the only athlete to break 2:13 in that heat.<\/p>\n Kate O\u2019Connor is 51 points clear of Emma Oosterwegel from the Netherlands in second.<\/p>\n As Ian O\u2019Riordan put it in his morning wrap: \u201cOosterwegel does have the faster personal best (than O\u2019Connor) over 800m, (but) she would need to beat O\u2019Connor by more than three seconds to leap above her and into the gold medal position.\u201d<\/p>\n So that\u2019s what we\u2019re watching out for. There\u2019ll be some arithmetic to do after the athletes cross the finish line, which I will leave to minds more learned than mine, but we should know fairly quickly where the medals are going.<\/p>\n We\u2019re about 10 minutes out from the heptathlon 800m now, which is due to run at 7.45pm.<\/p>\n First up in Birmingham is Kate O\u2019Connor who sits first in the heptathlon going into the last event, the 800m.<\/p>\n Ian O\u2019Riordan has a wrap of the morning\u2019s action, O\u2019Connor putting in huge performances in the long jump and javelin to put herself into the top spot.<\/p>\n [\u00a0Kate O\u2019Connor in heptathlon gold medal position with one event left at European ChampionshipsOpens in new window<\/a>\u00a0]<\/p>\n A difficult evening for Daniel Wiffen, but what a final to be part of. He had a quick chat with RT\u00c9 after the 1,500m final:<\/p>\n That\u2019s us done with the swimming for the evening.<\/p>\n We\u2019ll be switching focus to the athletics in Birmingham shortly, where we\u2019ll have Kate O\u2019Connor (7.45pm), Jack O\u2019Leary (8.25pm) and Andrew Coscoran (9.07pm) in action, as well as two Irish relay teams.<\/p>\n Walshe pushes the final 50. She touches the wall in fourth in 2:08.96.<\/p>\n She qualifies for the final as the fifth-fastest qualifier. Mighty stuff from her this evening.<\/p>\n We\u2019re looking for a top-five finish for Walshe to reach the finals here.<\/p>\n She turns in sixth with 50 meters to go.<\/p>\n Walshe turns in seventh, Britain\u2019s Keanna MacInnes leads after 50 meters.<\/p>\n Hardly out of breath from her sprint around the pool deck from the medal ceremony, Walshe is in lane two in the second semi-final of the 200m butterfly.<\/p>\n Off they go.<\/p>\n For the second time this week, Amhr\u00e1n na bhFiann rings out in Paris. And a big cheer for Walshe afterwards.<\/p>\n Quick picture and hugs from her fellow medallists before she sprints off to make her 200m butterfly semi-final.<\/p>\n A bit of a scheduling headache for Ellen Walshe, the medal ceremony for the 200m IM is just getting under way, where she\u2019ll be picking up her second gold medal of the week, while the 200m butterfly semi-finals, in which she\u2019s racing, are up straight after.<\/p>\n She doesn\u2019t seem to care though. Big smiles from the Dubliner as she stands up on the top step to accept her medal.<\/p>\n That leaves us with just one event remaining in the pool in terms of Irish athletes, Ellen Walshe back in action in the semi-finals of the women\u2019s 200m butterfly at 6.56pm.<\/p>\n The crowd roars home Germany\u2019s Johannes Liebmann as he takes gold in a new world record of 14:26.79. Unreal.<\/p>\n His compatriot takes third as Hungary\u2019s Zalan Sarkany earns silver.<\/p>\n Wiffen comes home in 15:06.30 for eighth.<\/p>\n Liebmann is now 4.37 seconds ahead of the world-record pace with 200 meters to go. This is sensational.<\/p>\n Wiffen is really struggling, a distant last now.<\/p>\n There\u2019s the bell for Liebmann, just 100 meters left for him.<\/p>\n Liebmann has 400 meters remaining, turning in 10:35.69. Finke\u2019s world record looks toast.<\/p>\n Hungary\u2019s Zalan Sarkany has fallen off and Johannes Liebmann is attacking Bobby Finke\u2019s world record alone.<\/p>\n The German is a massive 4.28 seconds ahead of the world-record pace after 900 meters.<\/p>\n Wiffen turns in eighth, he\u2019s looking tired.<\/p>\n Wiffen\u2019s pace is starting to slip off. He\u2019s back in seventh turning at 600 meters. He\u2019ll need to finish extraordinarily strong if he\u2019s to contest a medal.<\/p>\n Liebmann 3.99 seconds ahead of the world-record pace at the 700-meter mark.<\/p>\n The leaders\u2019 speed is boggling. Liebmann is now two seconds ahead of the world-record pace.<\/p>\n Wiffen pacing himself, turns in sixth after 500 meters.<\/p>\n Liebmann\u2019s under world-record pace at 150m, as is Sarkany. Will be interesting to see if they can hold this pace to the finish.<\/p>\n Wiffen\u2019s back in fifth, 4.93 seconds off the leader after 250 meters.<\/p>\n They\u2019re off. Liebmann and Hungary\u2019s Zalan Sarkany set the early tempo.<\/p>\n Wiffen turns on to the third length in fifth.<\/p>\n All the eight swimmers are now out and getting ready for the blocks.<\/p>\n It\u2019s 30 lengths of the pool, so we\u2019ll have a result in a little under 14 minutes.<\/p>\n Wiffen\u2019s in lane two. German duo Johannes Liebmann and Oliver Klemet are the two to watch in the centre lanes.<\/p>\n Daniel Wiffen is next on the blocks, the finals of the men\u2019s 1,500m up shortly.<\/p>\n Despite a difficult year impacted by injury and a return from training in the US, he managed fourth in the 800m final earlier in the week and is in with a shout of a medal here.<\/p>\n After the second semi-final in the women\u2019s 50m breaststroke, we\u2019ve confirmation Mona McSharry is through to Sunday\u2019s final. Her 30.43 saw her through as the seventh-fastest qualifier.<\/p>\n McSharry finishes third, really strong closing 20 meters from the Sligo woman.<\/p>\n Hardly a minute to breath here with all the Irish swimmers in action in Paris. Now it\u2019s Mona McSharry\u2019s turn in the semi-finals of the women\u2019s 50m breaststroke.<\/p>\n Fifth in the second heat for Tom Fannon in 21.65.<\/p>\n That\u2019s enough to see him through to the final as the sixth-fastest qualifier.<\/p>\n Fannon will be back tomorrow evening for the final.<\/p>\n Now, over to the men\u2019s 50m freestyle semi-finals. Tom Fannon in action for Ireland.<\/p>\n Now that we\u2019ve had a minute to collect ourselves, here\u2019s the full results from the women\u2019s 200m IM:<\/p>\n Ellen Walshe (Ireland) \u2013 2:11.26Justina Anna Kozan (Poland) \u2013 2:11.19Amalie Smith (Britain) \u2013 2:11.12Abbie Wood (Britain) \u2013 2:09.99Alba Vazques Ruiz (Spain) \u2013 2:10.87Anastasia Gorbenko (Israel) \u2013 2:11.14Anita Gastaldi (Italy) \u2013 2:11.21Roos Wanotterdijk (Belgium) \u2013 2:12.07<\/p>\n What an incredible final 100m from Ellen Walshe to double up, gold medals in both the 400m and 200m individual medley events.<\/p>\n Storming length from Walshe brings her up to fourth on the last turn. She take the lead.<\/p>\n GOLD FOR WALSHE!!<\/p>\n Walshe seventh on the first turn as they switch to backstroke.<\/p>\n Very strong length from Walshe to turn on to the breaststroke leg in fifth. This is where she\u2019ll come alive.<\/p>\n They\u2019re off. Good dive from Walshe. Germany\u2019s Vanotterdijk takes the early lead.<\/p>\n Ellen Walshe goes for Ireland in lane one. Not ideal for visibility of the rest of the field, but Walshe will be out to swim her own race.<\/p>\n It\u2019s an Italian one-two in the men\u2019s 50m breaststroke, or kind of. Nicolo Martinenghi takes gold, while Simone Cerasuolo shares silver with Koen de Groot of the Netherlands, both touching the wall in 26.62.<\/p>\n Now it\u2019s Ellen Walshe\u2019s turn in the women\u2019s 200m individual medley final.<\/p>\n Shock in the women\u2019s \u2018splash and dash\u2019, the 500m free, as Poland\u2019s Katarzyna Maria Wasick beats favourite Sarah Sjostrom of Sweden to the gold medal in a blistering 23.84.<\/p>\n Just 0.04 seconds between them and the shock on Wasick\u2019s face says it all. Amazing finish from the Polish swimmer.<\/p>\n Next up, the men\u2019s 50m breaststroke.<\/p>\n Leon Marchand has just won gold for France in the men\u2019s 200m butterfly.<\/p>\n Up next is the women\u2019s 50m freestyle final, then the men\u2019s 50m breaststroke, and then we\u2019ll have Ellen Walshe in the women\u2019s 200m IM final.<\/p>\n With medals up for grabs tonight, here\u2019s a reminder of Ireland\u2019s tally from the two championships so far:<\/p>\n Ireland medal count<\/p>\n Gold x2: Ellen Walshe (Women\u2019s 400m individual medley); Mark English (Men\u2019s 800m)<\/p>\n Silver x2: Mona McSharry (Women\u2019s 100m breaststroke); Rhasidat Adeleke (Women\u2019s 200m)<\/p>\n Bronze x1: Mona McSharry (Women\u2019s 200m breaststroke)<\/p>\n Hello everyone, welcome along to The Irish Times live blog of the European Athletics<\/a> and Aquatics Championships.<\/p>\n We\u2019ve another busy evening ahead, with four Irish swimmers in action in Paris, as well as three Irish athletes in individual events on the track before Ireland\u2019s 4x100m relay men\u2019s and women\u2019s teams round out the evening in Birmingham.<\/p>\n Of the 10 events Irish athletes are due to compete in this evening, seven have medals on offer. They are: <\/p>\n Ellen Walshe<\/a> (women\u2019s 200m IM final, 5.47pm)Daniel Wiffen<\/a> (men\u2019s 1,500m freestyle final, 6.20pm)Kate O\u2019Connor<\/a> (heptathlon 800m, 7.45pm)Jack O\u2019Leary (men\u2019s 10,000m, 8.25pm)Andrew Coscoran<\/a> (men\u2019s 1,500m final, 9.07pm)Men\u2019s 4x100m relay finalWomen\u2019s 4x100m relay final<\/p>\n We\u2019ll keep you updated on all the goings on in both Paris and Birmingham, and who knows, by close of business we might have a few more medals to celebrate.<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1786849456_612_ZGYJJQJBVGBYSM73Y6CZ6F3UNY.jpg\")
The Ireland team celebrate after qualifying for the women\u2019s 4x100m relay final. Photograph: Morgan Treacy\/Inpho <\/p>\n![\"Ellen](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/UEPKFR5SO5AE4J4J5RZH3NAP3M.jpg\")
Ellen Walshe’s with her gold medal from the 200m IM. Photograph: Giorgio Scala\/Inpho ![\"Kate](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/MHDEWAHNC4LI2WTY4HH44BL36A.jpg\")
Kate O’Connor with her gold medal from the heptathlon. Photograph: Annabel Lee-Ellis\/PA <\/p>\n![\"Fans](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AVKIVWRLT5IBGDB4YNZG5NHZTM.jpg\")
Fans of Kate O’Connor of Ireland in the stands during the 800m segment of the Women’s Heptathlon on day six of the 2026 European Athletics Championship at Perry Barr’s Alexander Stadium, Birmingham. Picture date: Saturday August 15, 2026. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Annabel Lee-Ellis\/PA Wire.
RESTRICTIONS: Use subject to restrictions. Editorial use only, no commercial use without prior consent from rights holder. <\/p>\n![\"Kate](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/HC5LQ565MEYF6RKHM2J3UKIGRE.jpg\")
Kate O’Connor during the long jump event in the heptathlon on Saturday morning: Martin Rickett\/PA <\/p>\n![\"Italy's](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Z4JL7SFJRTET2ARVZHCINAJTRM.jpg\")
Italy’s Anita Gastaldi (left), Ireland’s Ellen Walshe (centre) and Belgium’s Roos Vanotterdijk (right) with their medals from the women’s 200m IM. Photograph: Dimitar Dilkoff\/AFP via Getty Images <\/p>\n![\"Daniel](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/3BCU5DDVCZEGNL4THLV5HXOK7I.jpg\")
Daniel Wiffen after the men\u2019s 800m freestyle final on Wednesday. Photograph: Andrea Staccoli\/Inpho ![\"Ellen](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/LO4QTX25PCH6TDJMGMSK3DOSU4.jpg\")
Ellen Walshe after winning gold in the 200m IM. Photograph: Giorgio Scala\/Inpho <\/p>\n