TOP CLASS RACING FROM TEAM IRELAND AT THE EYOF
Another busy day for Team Ireland athletes at the European Youth Olympic Festival (EYOF) in Banska Bystrica, saw fifteen athletes compete across four sports, with 800m runner Nicole Dinan coming close to a medal, finishing in fourth, while Sam Coleman finished tenth in the sprint finish of the Boy’s Road Race, ensuring the cycling team go home with four top ten results.
Athletics
It was a full day of competition for the track and field athletes at the Sport Park Athletics today in Banska Bystrica. Nicole Dinan had a stand-out performance in the Girl’s 800m Final, where she pushed for a medal, finishing fourth on the line. Serbia’s Masa Rajic won the race in a time of 2:11.95 ahead of Italy and Poland, with Dinan fourth with 2:12.92. Pleased with her performance, Dinan said,
“I was slightly more nervous for the final than I was for the semi-final. I went out didn’t expect to take the lead at all, but it happened that way, I went at my own pace. Up the back straight they were pushing it on, I was hanging in there and I was dying in the home straight. I delighted to get fourth, pity I missed out on a medal.”
Acknowledging the pedigree of Irish female runners over this distance, in particular Louise Shanahan who previously won the 800m event at EYOF, Dinan said,
“We were only watching Louise Shanahan’s 800m the other day in the room, and she won this EYOF, and the way she won it was an inspiration and I thought, maybe that will be me some day! It’s great to see all her performances, it pushes you on in training, and it shows you that there’s someone there to show you that yes, it is possible.”
This morning saw Toby Thompson qualify through to the finals in the Boy’s 200m with a time of 22.26, and is excited to see what he can do in tomorrow’s final,
“I didn’t get the best of starts, that meant I had to keep the pace up at full speed for the second 50 of the event. Then I had nothing in the tank for the home straight. But if I run a better race in the final, I would like to think I’m in contention for a medal.”
A personal best time of 14.11 seconds was not enough for Okwu Backari to progress to the semi-finals of the Girl’s 100m hurdles,
“There was a false start and I think that kind of put everyone off a bit. A false start and I still ran a PB, especially in front of all these people, so that’s really good.”
Hannah Falvey, who had qualified for the semi-finals of the Girl’s 200m, fell short of moving to the finals, finishing with a time of 26.11, and now switches her focus to the relay events tomorrow.
“It’s been great here, I got to the semi-finals. I thought I would run a bit better, but it just wasn’t my day I guess. I’m still very happy, and it’s the relays next, so I’ll switch my focus to that.”
Maeve Fleming missed out on qualifying for the finals in the High Jump, scoring 1.65m, shy of her own personal best of 1.73m. Speaking afterwards she commented on the support from the crowd,
“It was great seeing the Team Ireland flags and all the supporters in green, it was great. My family and coach were there too which was great.”
Hollie Kilroe finished 8th in the Girl’s 400m Final with a time of 57.54,
“There was a lot of excitement going into it, it wasn’t the race I was expecting. But I got to a final, and not a lot of people can say that.”
RESULTS – TUESDAY 26 JULY 2022
Athletics
Toby Thompson – Boy’s 200m Heats – 22.26 Q for Finals
Okwu Backari – Girl’s 100m Hurdles – 14.11 PB
Hannah Falvey – Girl’s 200m Semis – 26.11
Maeve Fleming – Girl’s High Jump – 1.65m – doesn’t qualify
Nicole Dinan – Girl’s 800m Finals – 4th with 2:12.92
Hollie Kilroe – Girl’s 400m Finals – 8th with 57.54
SCHEDULE – THURSDAY 28 JULY 2022
10:05 Athletics – Girl’s Medley Relay (Backari, Falvey, Kierans, Kilroe, Dinan)
10:35 Athletics – Boy’s Medley Relay (Crotty, O’Reilly, Osas, Thompson)
10:42 Athletics – Boy’s Discus (Cian Crampton)
11:00 Athletics – Boy’s 3000m Final – Cormac Dixon
19:35 Athletics – Boy’s 200m Final – Toby Thompson