Irish team selected for European Championships

Rhasidat Adeleke has opted to compete at the European Championships in Munich later this month. The news was confirmed as Athletics Ireland announced their largest ever team for a senior major championships with 31 individual athletes, along with two relay teams travelling to the German capital.

Adeleke will compete in the 400m and women’s 4x400m relay. The 19-year-old sprinter finished ninth overall in the event at the World Athletics Championships in Eugene last month and will be in a strong position to challenge for a podium place if she can replicate her level of performance.

The Irish record holder in the 60m, 200m, 300m, and 400m heads an incredibly strong relay team with depth arguably like never seen before. Joining Adeleke in the squad are Phil Healy, Sophie Becker, Sharlene Mawdsley, Cliodhna Manning, and Roisin Harrison. All six athletes have ran under 53 seconds in the 400m this season.

Three previous medallists have also been selected for the championships. Thomas Barr (Ferrybank AC), Ciara Mageean (City of Lisburn AC), and Mark English (Finn Valley AC) will all be looking to replicate their previous podium finishes.

💥STRONG IRISH TEAM SELECTED FOR EUROPEAN ATHLETICS CHAMPIONSHIPS💥

Athletics Ireland are delighted to announce a squad of over 35 athletes for the upcoming @EuroAthletics Championships in Munich on August 15-21⤵️https://t.co/yVr0WQDDkk#munich2022 #ec2022 @ECMunich2022 pic.twitter.com/ulTTK0FF0l

— Athletics Ireland (@irishathletics) August 3, 2022

Barr was disappointed with his fifth-place finish in his semi-final of the 400m Hurdles at the World Championships in Eugene last month, while English narrowly missed the 800m final finishing tenth overall. Mageean opted out of the worlds to focus on the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham where she will represented Northern Ireland in the 1500m. The Down woman is also entered in the 800m and ran an impressive time of 1.59.03 for the event in a mixed race recently, under the Irish record however it will not count as such. Sarah Healy (UCD AC) who ran an Irish U23 1500m record earlier this season will also be toeing the line in the 1500m.

Sarah Lavin (Emerald AC) will look to continue her great season in the 100m Hurdles. The Limerick woman made the world indoor final earlier this year and progressed to the semi-finals at the World Championships finishing as fifth fastest European.

Fionnuala McCormack (Kilcoole AC) will make her sixth appearance at these championships. The four-time Olympian competes in the marathon along with Aoife Cooke (Eagle AC) and Ann-Marie McGlynn (Letterkenny AC).

Commonwealth Games silver medal winner Kate O’Connor (Dundalk St. Gerald’s AC) will be in action in the Heptathlon and will have her eyes on her own Irish record mark. Fellow Irish U23 record holders Darragh McElhinney and Israel Olatunde (UCD AC) compete in the 5000m and 100m respectively.

Full Irish team for European Championships: