Barr powers to new national record

THOMAS BARR (Ferrybank AC) set a new national junior record at 51.29 secs when winning his heat of the men’s 400m hurdles at the European junior track and field championships in Tallinn yesterday.

The 18-year-old Waterford lad was emulating his sister, Jessie, who set a new national U23 record when finishing fifth in the final of the women’s 400m hurdles at last week’s European U23 championships.

Joanna Mills (Ballymena and Antrim) finished just outside the medals in the women’s 400m final. Mills, the Irish schools champion in both the 400m and the long jump, took fourth in 54.35.

Mark English (Letterkenny AC) earned automatic qualification for today’s men’s 800m semi-finals when he finished third in his first round heat in 1:51.15but Dean Cronin (Blarney/Inniscarra AC) was eliminated when he finished seventh in his heat in 1:53.43 while Cara Kennedy’s best throw of 56.24m for 10th place in her qualification group was not good enough for a place in the final of the women’s hammer.

Ciara Mageean went straight through to tomorrow’s final of the women’s 1,500m after the heats were dispensed with. Thomas Barr will be back in action today in the 400m hurdles semi-finals (1.20pm Irish time) while Mark English goes in the semi-finals of the men’s 800m exactly an hour later.