European swimming championships
Women’s 50m backstroke final: Danielle Hill finishes eighth
Women’s 200m breaststroke semi-finals: Ellie McCartney, Mona McSharry both make final
Men’s 200m breaststroke final: Jack Kelly finishes seventh
European Athletics Championships
Men’s 200m semi-finals: Sean Aigboboh, Marcus Lawler miss out on final
Men’s 800m final: Mark English wins gold medal
Women’s 200m final: Rhasidat Adeleke wins silver medal
Watch Mark English win gold:
Here is Ian O’Riordan’s report from an unforgettable night:
“What an unforgettable night, such a spectacular show. Never in the long history of Irish athletics has there been a night like it, as Mark English, followed in brilliantly swift succession by Rhasidat Adeleke, won European gold and silver medals within one magical half-hour.
“Starting just 22 minutes apart, English first struck gold in the 800 metres, with that becoming the first Irish man to win a European outdoor title in any event. Battle hardened and bloody determined, he’d come to Birmingham to win gold, the Donegal athlete racing as if never once settling for anything less.”
That’s all from me, good night!
Mark English on RTÉ talking about his gold medal: “I can’t sum it up, I haven’t even written that chapter yet, I’m waiting on the script to get here. I don’t even know how to feel to be honest. I am relieved more than anything. I really wanted the gold medal today. So many people to thank my coach, strength and conditioning staff, nutrition, physiology, medical. I’m over the moon.
“I think Bloudek made a move at the bell, I didn’t want to push it too early, I remember the great saying from Nick Simmons, you need to spread the peanut butter evenly on an 800m, I tried to do that and save my energy for the last 100m. I’m so happy.”
Rhasidat Adeleke on RTÉ: “I feel blessed to come away with a medal. My initial thought was, oh I didn’t win, I had to bring it back to who I want to be, I didn’t want to be that person anymore. I want to find gratitude with everything. I broke the national record!
“From where I came from this season, compared to last season. Who would have thought? It was nice to come in as an underdog. It means so much to me, considering the journey. I don’t show everything I go through but I think showing snippets is helpful, it alleviates that stress. I internalise everything and it’s so happy, but I want to be free, I want to be happy, enjoy this sport that has given me so much. I’m really grateful.
“I wanted to make sure I would run my own race, make sure I crossed the line. If you guys knew this journey I was on, there’s so many times I thought, am I cooked?”
Rhasidat Adeleke wins silver in the 200m! 22.28 a national record. Hunt wins in 22.19. She races down Asher-Smith who ran 22.29.
What a run by Adeleke. Superb stuff and a banner night for Irish athletics. She started well but was quite a bit behind Asher-Smith but the 400m skill helped by powering through in the final stages. If it was 250m she would have won, but she will be delighted with silver.
Will it be two golds tonight for Ireland? We’d certainly take two medals and Rhasidat Adeleke races in the 200m.
- Boglárka Takacs
- Success Eduan
- Gémima Joseph
- Jael Bestué
- Rhasidat Adeleke
- Amy Hunt
- Dina Asher-Smith
- Fabienne Hoenke
Such a great race, Mark English! With five medals from his previous five European finals, indoors and outdoors, it was the only colour the Donegal athlete is missing, and he’s done it.
Big Irish crowd supporting him, tricolours everywhere in Birmingham.
Bloudek leads and goes first and English goes with him with 200 metres left. He’s on the shoulder of Bloudek and he powers past him. Attaoui tries to challenge but English wins!
GOLD FOR MARK ENGLISH!
English runs 1:45.26, Croatia’s Bloudek 1:45.62 in second, Spain’s Attaoui 1:45.71 in third. He becomes the first Irish man in history to win a European Championships gold medal.
English starts the first 200m in the top 4 group, on the shoulder of the lead after 400m.
The race is delayed a few minutes, about ready to go. English in lane 6. Can he match his performance of the semi-final where he broke the championship record?
Ian O’Riordan reports Britain’s Max Burgin has withdrawn from the 800m, one less runner for English to think about. He picked up an injury in the warm-up.
Here is the start list:
- Mohamed Attaoui
- Marino Bloudek
- Corentin le Clezio
- Mark English
- David Barroso
- Ben Pattison
- Francesco Pernici
Here is Ian O’Riordan’s preview of Mark English’s race tonight. A big night for Irish athletics.
Dramatic finish at the women’s 3,000m steeplechase as Lea Meyer led almost all the way, but she fell at the last hurdle, taking her out of the race. Her countrywoman Gesa Krause won the race.
Marcus Lawler finishes eighth in semi-final
Lawler found the pace too much as Hughes wins in 20.05. Lawler runs 21.11, he’ll be disappointed with that. Also Aigboboh won’t make the final as there were faster finishers.
The second 200m semi-final features Ireland’s Marcus Lawler.
- Deniz Kaan Kartal
- Marcus Lawler
- Eduardo Longobardi
- Devlis Santos
- Kameron Horton
- Timothé Mumenthaler
- Zharnel Hughes
- Henrik Larsson
Sean Aigboboh finishes in fourth place in the semi-final
Desalu wins in 20.08. Aigboboh runs 20.46, his best run of the season so far. An outside chance of making the final as fastest loser but you never know.
It’s time for the 200m semi-finals. The first one features Ireland’s Sean Aigboboh. Here’s the start list for the first of three 200m semi-finals
- Kenny Emi Tijani-Ajayi
- Erik Erlandsson
- Joshua Hartmann
- Oskars Grava
- Sean Aigboboh
- Oguz Uyar
- Eseosa Fostine Desalu
- Gediminas Truskauskas
That’s all from me for an hour. Back for the 200m men’s semi-finals in athletics.
Jack Kelly finishes seventh in 200m breaststroke final
It was a solid third 50m, but still in touch near the end, but ran out of steam and finishes seventh.
Britain’s Filip Nowacki wins in 2:07.70. Netherlands’ Caspar Corbeau is second and Luka Mladenovic in third. Kelly swam 2:10.58.
Good start by Kelly, leading after 50 metres and under world record pace. Very fast, can he maintain it? Unlikely, already fifth by 100m.
Next up is the men’s 200m breaststroke final, where Jack Kelly takes part.
- Christian Mantegazza
- Jack Kelly
- Caspar Corbeau
- Filip Nowacki
- Luka Mladenovic
- Kirill Prigoda
- Gregory Butler
- Lucas Matzerath
McCartney makes the 200m breaststroke final!
She swims 2.24.15 in the much faster semi-final, to get into the final. She joins McSharry there for the final tomorrow. Evgeniia Chikunova laid down a marker with a 2.20.71 time.
Next up is Ellie McCartney, to see if she can make the final. Start list:
- Kay-Lyn Lohr
- Ellie McCartney
- Kotryna Teterevkova
- Angharad Evans
- Evgeniia Chikunova
- Tes Schouten
- Lena Ludwig
- Yana Klikotska
Mona McSharry wins her 200m breaststroke semi-final!
A very smooth swim, led throughout, although she was pushed by Zmushka and Elendt.
She swims 2.23.53, laid down a marker but also more in the tank with regard her personal best.
Mona McSharry is out in the pool for the 200m breaststroke semi-final. Here is the start list:
- Anna Pirovano
- Clara Rybak-Andersen
- Alina Zmushka
- Mona McSharry
- Anna Elendt
- Nikoleta Trnikova
- Lisa Angiolini
- Jenna Laukkanen
Danielle Hill finishes eighth in the 50m backstroke
Sara Curtis breaks the world record again 26.56 seconds, another stunning swim. Hill finishes last in 27.91.
Moluh second 27.06 for France. Lauren Cox 27.15 for Britain.
Hungary’s Kristof Milak wins the 100m butterfly, with Ireland’s Danielle Hill coming up next in the pool. Here is the start list for the 50m backstroke:
- Lauren Cox
- Marrit Steenbergen
- Mary-Ambre Moluh
- Sara Curtis
- Alina Gaifutdinova
- Tesse Giele
- Analia Pigree
- Danielle Hill
Hello and welcome to live coverage of the European athletics and swimming championships in London and Paris respectively. After two medals in the pool last night, there are more chances for Danielle Hill and Jack Kelly, you would have to say outside chances though, but you never know on the day. It’s a different story later in athletics where Mark English and Rhasidat Adeleke go into their finals among the fastest qualifiers and will have medals in mind in the 800m and 200m. Both races are late starts, well after 9pm, but well worth tuning in for to see.
European swimming championships
Women’s 50m backstroke final: Danielle Hill (5.36pm)
Women’s 200m breaststroke semi-finals: Ellie McCartney, Mona McSharry (6.07pm)
Men’s 200m breaststroke final: Jack Kelly (6.29pm)
European Athletics Championships
Men’s 200m semi-finals: Sean Aigboboh, Marcus Lawler (8.05pm)
Men’s 800m final: Mark English (9.28pm)
Women’s 200m final: Rhasidat Adeleke (9.50pm)
