Athletics Ireland announces final team for European Championships

Sharlene Mawdsley is selected in the women’s 400m and women’s 4x400m but her participation is dependent on fitness

FIGHTING: Sharlene Mawdsley is doing 'everything possible' ot be fit for the European Championships. Pic: Inpho

Thu, 30 Jul, 2026 - 16:41

Cathal Dennehy

Athletics Ireland has selected a final team of 47 athletes for the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham (10-16 August), with 14 individual athletes confirmed for the event following confirmation of their quota places.

The championships will see several international medallists including Kate O’Connor, Mark English, Rhasidat Adeleke, Fionnuala McCormack and Sarah Healy don the green vest. Hopes will be high for a similar showing to the 2024 edition in Rome, when the Irish won four medals for the first time ever at the championships: Ciara Mageean’s gold over 1500m, Adeleke’s silver in the 400m, plus gold in the mixed 4x400m and silver in the women’s 4x400m.

Sharlene Mawdsley is selected in the women’s 400m and women’s 4x400m but her participation is dependent on fitness, the Tipperary sprinter posting that she’s doing “everything possible” to return in time after suffering a hamstring injury in last Saturday’s 200m final at nationals.

Fourteen athletes who were provisionally selected by Athletics Ireland earlier this week have now been confirmed as qualified by European Athletics, having either achieved the Athletics Ireland B Standard or having been selected in another individual event or relay team (therefore not requiring the B Standard).

National indoor men’s 60m champion Bori Akinola qualifies through ranking. Pic: Nick Elliott/Inpho

Among those securing qualification through their ranking are national women’s 100m champion Ciara Neville and national indoor men’s 60m champion Bori Akinola, while Olympians Cathal Doyle (1500m), Sophie Becker (400m), Jack Raftery (400m) and Jodie McCann (1500m) have also secured their places.

Brian Fay will join Irish teammates Nick Griggs and Darragh McElhinney in the men’s 5000m, while Niamh Allen will make her European Championships debut after securing selection over 10,000m.

Irish Team – European Athletics Championships, Birmingham:

Cian McPhillips (800m)

Mark English (800m)

Kate O'Connor (heptathlon)

Sarah Healy (1500m, 5000m)

Israel Olatunde (100m, men’s 4x100m)

Sean Aigboboh (200m, men’s 4x100m)

Sharlene Mawdsley (400m, women’s 4x400m)

Nicola Tuthill (hammer)

Darragh McElhinney (5000m)

Nick Griggs (5000m)

Andrew Coscoran (1500m)