Irish juniors qualify for finals

FOUR athletes made it through to their respective finals and two athletes - Linda Byrne in the steeplechase and Breffni Twohig in the 5,000m - set new national junior records on a great day for the Irish at the European Junior Track and Field Championships in Kaunas yesterday.

Ireland will have two representatives in the final of the men’s 1500m following spectacular performances by Danny Darcy and Colin Costello in yesterday’s semi-finals.

Danny Darcy from Bagenalstown, Carlow, Irish schools champion in both track and cross-country and the reigning national junior cross-country champion, finished third in a typical championship race that developed into a tactical affair.

The contest was eventually won by Marcin Lewandowski of Poland in 3:55.04 from Volodymyr Kyts of the Ukraine, second in 3:55.13, with Danny Darcy third in 3:55.25 to gain passage into tomorrow’s final.

The second heat was much faster, with two Spaniards up at the front of the pack. Victory went to Alvaro Rodriguez in a time of 3:50.13 with Adrian Danilewicz from Poland getting in to take second place in 3:50.42, ahead of the other Spaniard, Alberto Marcos, who was third in 3:50.59.

Colin Costello battled all the way to the line to take fourth in 3:50.59 to lead the four fastest losers - who all came from this heat - into the final.

Earlier, Linda Byrne set a new national junior record at 10:32.80 when she finished second in her heat of the women’s 3,000m steeplechase. The race was won by Polian Jelizarova (Latvia) in 10:32.46 with Susi Lutz (Germany) third in 10:35.52.

The Dubliner now goes into the final as the second fastest from yesterday’s two semi-finals.

Catriona Cuddihy made it through to the final of the women’s 400m Hurdles after recording a new personal best in her semi-final at 60.36secs.

There was also a new national junior record for Breffni Twohig in the 5,000m final. She finished sixth in 17:05.99 behind Emily Pidgeon (Great Britain) who won in 16:14.71 from Tatyaba Azorkina (Russia), 16:18.60.

Despite a gallant effort, Eoin Everard from Kilkenny failed to make it through to the 800m final. He finished seventh in his heat in 1:51.78 but his time would have won the other heat which went to Mattias Klasson (Finland) in 1:52.57.

Everard’s heat was won by Josef Repcik (Slovakia) in 1:49.61 from the two British runners, Richard Hill who was second in 1:49.75 and Michael Rimmer who was third in 1:49.82.

The two fastest losers through to the final came from this heat, David Tokas (Hungary), 1:50.02, and Lukas Rifessor (Italy) 1:50.12.