‘When I put on this vest, it’s like putting on a super suit’
Two athletes, two races, 84 years of history, and the potential for one magic hour in the annals of Irish athletics.
That’s what’s ahead at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin tonight as Leon Reid and Thomas Barr head into their respective finals at the European Championships, both with a live shot of defying the favourites and a whole heap of history.
Since this event was first held in Turin back in 1934, no Irishman has ever got on the podium in a sprint event, but in Barr and Reid, they have a pair capable of defying the odds.
Of the two, Reid has been the surprise package, not that anyone was ever doubting the 23-year-old’s class.
What’s more, the Bath-based sprinter knows all about long waits, having applied to switch his allegiance from Britain to Ireland back in 2016, a process that was only approved just days before he flew to Berlin.
“When I put on this vest, it’s like putting on a super suit,” said Reid, moments after powering through to the men’s 200m final last night, clocking 20.38 in his semi-final to finish a close runner-up to world champion Ramil Guliyev.
Reid qualifies to represent Ireland, as his mother was born in Belfast while his foster mother, who was present in the stadium last night, is from Wexford.
“My mum took off work to fly out here and see me, so I couldn’t let her down. Everyone’s going on about times, but I’m just here to have fun and execute and PBs will come.”
Given the endless controversy over transfers of allegiance, not everyone has been supportive of Reid running in an Irish vest, though he chooses not to listen to the voices of dissent.
He said; “I don’t let that sort of stuff get to me. The people that are counting on me, that’s who I deliver for. I don’t deliver for anyone else who sits behind screens tweeting me. I worry about my mam, my coach, my Irish family, the people who matter to me.”
Reid is in lane eight for tonight’s final at 8.05pm Irish time, and he feels a medal may be on the cards.
“I’ll give it my all and I’ll be going for it no matter what. If there’s a medal there to be won, I’ll be in the mix.”
Less than an hour earlier, that same outer lane will be filled by Reid’s teammate Barr, who will try beat his compatriot to the punch in the men’s 400m hurdles final.
Barr needed to run all out in his semi-final on Tuesday to advance in second place, clocking 49.10 behind Turkey’s Yasmani Copello and, while he will take to his marks as an outsider, he’s not ruling anything in or out.
“At a championships anything can happen,” he said. “I could finish first or last or anything in between and I’m well aware of that.”
The lane draw means Barr will be running blind from the gun, but it’s far from a fatal blow to his chances, given American Kori Carter won the women’s world title from the same draw last year.
Asked if he remained optimistic of winning a medal, Barr said: “I hope so. I think there’s just as much chance of me winning a medal as not. Once you’re in the final it’s all to play for and anything can happen.”
Elsewhere Marcus Lawler was equal parts disgusted and distraught after a sub-par performance in the men’s 200m heats, the 23-year-old well off his best when fifth in 20.80.
“That’s just not good enough,” he said. “I don’t know what went wrong. I was in good form coming into it, I had a clear run of things, no injuries. I’m baffled, really. I went to Amsterdam two years ago and I ran crappy enough there and made a semi-final. Today I ran better, but I haven’t made the semi-final. I’m bitterly disappointed with that.”
Meanwhile Emma Mitchell finished 17th in the women’s 10,000m in 34:08.61, a race won by Israel’s Lonah Chemtai Salpeter in 31:43.29. “I did the best I could, but there was nothing there,” said Mitchell. “I should have done better than that.”
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
