European Athletics Championships: Thomas Barr wins his 400m hurdles heat

Thomas Barr half jested beforehand he was delighted to race a qualifying heat of the 400 metres hurdles early on Wednesday morning rather than receive an advance booking straight into the European Championship semi-finals. What better practice after all, even for the bronze medal winner from four years ago?

Still, in a one-lap race lined with 10 hurdles, each three-foot high, anything can and often does go wrong. No bother for Barr, however, who by his own admission ran as smooth as butter to take the win in 49.49 seconds — certainly making up some time too for his lack of race practice this season due to injury.

Even though the top three were guaranteed semi-final places, plus the two fastest non-automatic places across the four heats, the win was important too: although it didn’t quite give Barr a more favourable lane draw for the semi-finals, as he’ll start in lane eight in the first of the three races which take place here on Thursday morning (10.25 Irish time), joining the top-10 ranked runners already given that advance booking.

Among them will be defending champion and world record holder Kartsen Warholm of Norway, who may not be in the shape which saw him run that 45.94 seconds in Tokyo last summer, but still is unquestionably the man to beat. Only the top two, plus the two fastest non-automatic finishers, make Friday night’s final showdown.

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Warholm goes in the second semi-final, with Barr having the other fancied medal contender Wilfried Happio from France to contend win, who ran a best of 47.41 this season.

Barr ended up fourth fastest across the four heats, taking the win ahead of the Dutch runner Ramsey Angela, who took second in 49.51: the three fastest times came from heat one, won by Victor Coroller from France in 49.35

Barr’s national record time of 47.97 goes back six years now to his fourth place finish at the Rio Olympics, although he ran his second fastest time in Tokyo last year, 48.26 seconds, despite clipping the last hurdle and missing out on that final by just one place. A repeat of that sort of time here would likely see him through.

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Back inside the Olympic Stadium tonight (9.02 Irish time), Rhasidat Adeleke will line up in the final of the women’s 400m — her 49th race of the season, between indoors and out, for college and country, breaking too many records to recount.

Still only 19, she ran 51.08 seconds on Tuesday to qualify for the final, and although drawn in lane one is naturally excited by the chance to race among the eight best in Europe right now.

“You know, it’s great. It’s important to have these experiences. I’ve been doing the 400 for such a short period that every race I am learning how to run it so each race is an experience in itself. I’m kinda learning about myself and what it takes to run certain times.”

“Obviously it is a final, there won’t be any conserving energy or anything, or room for error at the end of the race. There is pressure, a lot of pressure, I put pressure on myself as well. There is always pressure. I am really ambitious.”

Irish Athlete Wednesday Schedule (all Irish time):

9.02pm: Women’s 400m final: Rhasidat Adeleke