Thomas Barr follows up relay gold with win in 400m hurdle heats
Czech Republic's Vit Muller, Ireland's Thomas Barr and Italy's Giacomo Bertoncelli in action during the men's 400m hurdles heat 1. REUTERS/Manon Cruz
Thomas Barr kept the good times rolling for the Irish at the European Championships in Rome today, the Waterford athlete powering to victory in his heat of the 400m hurdles in a season’s best of 49.31.
Barr had plenty of work to do as he rounded the final turn in third, but he produced his trademark finishing burst over the final two barriers to hit the front metres before the line, with Vit Muller of Czech Republic next best with 49.38. Barr’s 49.31 was the quickest time in the qualifying heats, though the top-12 ranked athletes were missing as they have a bye to tomorrow afternoon’s semi-finals. He will almost certainly need a sub-49 second time there to advance to the final.
“I left myself a little bit of work to do in the home straight but I knew I’d be strong, I went out relatively conservative,” said Barr. “I’m happy to have got the job done. It’s always a huge relief after the first round as you never know what way it’s going to go.”
Barr admitted it was hard to come down from the high of Friday night’s mixed relay gold medal, but he was pleased with the run. “We’re going in the right direction,” he said. “That was a really nice confidence boost.”
Nicola Tuthill threw 69.85m in qualification to advance to the final of the women’s hammer. The 20-year-old was making her debut on this stage and looked right at home, producing a superb effort to finish second in her group and seventh overall. “It’s my second farthest throw so to get close to my PB is nice, it’ll be amazing to make the final,” said the Bandon athlete. “I was definitely nervous, but nerves are good too.”
Mark Smyth clocked a season’s best of 20.93 to advance to this evening’s semi-finals of the men’s 200m, coming home fourth in his heat. “I’m delighted, happy to get through by the skin of my teeth,” he said. “It’s good to be running sub-21 again, it was tough in lane three with no one in the lane outside me so it was a bit of a blind race.”
Kelly McGrory broke new ground in the heats of the women’s 400m hurdles, clocking a lifetime best of 57.10 to finish seventh, which was not enough to advance. “When you run a PB you can’t really complain but I’m a little disappointed,” she said. “I messed up my stride pattern between hurdles six and seven and hit a hurdle with my trail leg. If I didn’t do that, I probably would have run under 57 which I’d have loved. I don’t know if I lost concentration a bit.”
In the men’s half marathon, Hiko Tonosa came home 43rd in 1:05:42, a race won by Italy’s Yemaneberhan Crippa in 1:01:03. “At halfway I wanted to push but I couldn’t and I don’t know why,” said Tonosa, who dropped out late in the race at the London Marathon in April. “My calf was a bit sore and I think I didn’t do enough training for this, I was 50-50 on going, but it’s not too bad. I’m happy to be in green again, representing Ireland.”
Shona Heaslip was 34th in the women’s half marathon, clocking 1:12:19, while Emily Haggard-Kearney came home 64th in 1:17:04. Norway’s Karoline Bjerkeli Grovdal, who won silver in the 5000m on Friday night, took gold with 1:08:09.
“It was a tough race and we knew it’d be tough, but I’m happy with my run,” said Heaslip. “I don’t think I could have given it anymore. I was pretty wiped when I crossed the line and that’s always a good sign. It gives me confidence going forward as I look to move up the marathon.” Haggard-Kearney said it was a “big step up in terms of quality” but said the experience of earning her first senior cap for Ireland was “amazing”.
The big focus at the Stadio Olimpico tonight will be the women’s 1500m final at 9.40pm Irish time, where Ciara Mageean and Sarah Healy will both have medal aspirations. Meanwhile Rhasidat Adeleke and Sharlene Mawdsley are back on track following their mixed relay victory on Friday night, the pair going in the women’s 400m semi-finals along with Sophie Becker, with just the top two to advance automatically. Chris O’Donnell will be in action in the men’s 400m semi-finals.
European Athletics Championships: Live, RTÉ Two, BBC Red Button
Irish in action today (all times Irish)
7.05pm: Rhasidat Adeleke, women’s 400m semi-finals
7.13pm: Sophie Becker, women’s 400m semi-finals
7.21pm: Sharlene Mawdsley, women’s 400m semi-finals
7.54pm: Chris O’Donnell, men’s 400m semi-finals
8.55pm: Mark Smyth, men’s 200m semi-finals
9.40pm: Ciara Mageean, Sarah Healy, women’s 1500m final
