Agonising fourth for Behan at European Games

Today’s Irish hopes for medals at the European Games, gymnast Kieran Behan and cyclist Caroline Ryan, have finished outside the top three in Baku, with Behan coming fourth and Ryan at one stage leading the women’s road race before dropping out.

Behan came fourth in the floor discipline in men’s gymnastics at the National Gymnastics Centre, opposite the Athletes’ Village, missing out on a medal after scoring the highest mark in qualification.

His score of 14.866 left him marginally out of the top three – but his impressive qualification mark of 15.066, best of the prelims, would have earned him bronze had he been able to repeat that today.

Kieran Behan

Victory went to Rayderley Zapata of Spain, whose performance yielded a winning score of 15.333, with Fabien Hambüchen of Germany claiming silver and David Belyavskiy of Russia the bronze, a mere 0.133 points ahead of Behan.

Caroline Ryan at one stage led the women’s cycling road race and was in with a major prospect of a medal, before falling back in the final laps of the 120km course.

Ryan hit the front after three laps but by the fifth lap, just past the halfway mark, had fallen back into the mid-fifties, withdrawing with the prospect of glory gone.

A thrilling blanket sprint finish was won by Alena Alialiusik of Belarus in 3 hours 20 minutes 36 seconds, with Katarzyna Niewiadoma of Poland second and Anna van der Breggen of the Netherlands third.

In boxing’s last 16, Sean McComb enjoyed a unanimous points victory at lightweight over Donato Cosenza of Italy after being awarded every round by every judge in a 30-27 30-27 30-27 triumph.

Twice Irish champion McComb, of Holy Trinity Belfast, now faces Yasin Yilmaz of Turkey in the quarter-finals on Tuesday.

Sean McComb

But, flyweight Myles Casey and women’s bantamweight Michaela Walsh are both out after unanimous points losses at the Crystal Hall.

Casey fell to Azerbaijan favourite Elvin Mamishzada 29-27 30-25 29-28, while Walsh was dispatched by Elena Saveleva of Russia.

Only one judge awarded the Irishwoman a round in a 40-36 40-36 39-37 result

In the evening session, Wexford welterweight fights Dario Moriello at 5pm Irish time, and Dean Gardiner goes in at 5.15pm Irish time Guido Vianello at super-heavyweight.

Ireland’s Darren Wallace bowed out in the first round of the archery individual knockouts, falling 6-2 to Italian David Pasqualucci in the last 64.