In the gripping climax at Stadio Olimpico on Wednesday evening, Andrew Coscoran’s strategic dash secured him a spot in the European 1,500 metres face-off. Conversely, Thomas Barr’s attempt to reach another 400m hurdles final didn’t quite pan out, ending in third place during the semi-final. Despite just missing out on second place by 0.04 seconds, which would’ve guaranteed his place in the finals.
A well-informed Coscoran left no room for happenstance in his 1,500m run. The 27-year-old Dubliner managed to rise to the lead and reduce any risk of complications, a wise move seeing as just after hitting the 400m mark, a bunch of his fellow contestants tripped over, verifying the inherent risk in such fraught qualifications.
The outcome was decided based on the first six runners from both semi-finals, with Coscoran landing in fifth place with 3:38.52. Jakob Ingebrigtsen from Norway came in late to clinch the triumph with 3:37.65. Seizing the chance, Coscoran said, “I figured out a slower pace would be advantageous from the front. My main objective was to keep out of harm’s way, which thankfully happened because of my timely move.”
Young 19-year-old Nick Griggs from Tyrone, having to be content with 14th place in a race as ferocious as the first heat however. His time was 3:46.66, with only less than 0.15 seconds separating the top six. British Neil Gourley emerged as the winner with 3:44.05. Sporting a realistic outlook, Griggs said, “I currently lack the capacity to be in league with these participants. Wishing to compete with the best in Europe is a bit vexing. Despite being in form, I ran out of steam in the final lap. On the day, these contenders were visibly superior.”
Ingebrigtsen has successfully accomplished the initial part if he’s to bag his third successive European 1,500m/5,000m double. In an astonishing display of strategic running, the 23-year-old champion lead the pack from the final circuit and raked in another win at 5,000m in 13:20.11 on Saturday. His victory on Wednesday seems almost certain, even as the competition for lesser medals remains unpredictable.
Meanwhile, Barr, about to turn 32 in a month, found himself needing to best his seasonal best time of 49.31, a record he had set while leading his heat over the weekend, to secure a spot in the three-semifinals’ lineup. Eventually, Barr fell slightly short of Dutch athlete Nick Smidt, who secured second place at 49.57. Karston Warlholm of Norway, the world record holder, grabbed the win, finishing at 48.75. Barr initially held the fastest time among the non-automatic qualifiers but was subsequently displaced by the third and fourth runners in the second semi-final.
Looking back on the event, Barr says he felt strong during the warm-up and aimed to manage the race more effectively. He knew the Dutch opponent next to him would start strong and quickly, so he decided to match his pace but stay calm, attack at the top bend and finish with all his might. However, he feels he didn’t position himself well enough in the race and lost some momentum at the top bend, ultimately tiring and not finishing as strong as he had hoped. Despite the slower time, Barr says the run felt tougher than the previous day and suspects he wasn’t as energised as he had hoped to be. He would not have been surprised if the clock had displayed a 48-something, given the taxing nature of the race.
While expressing disappointment at missing his Olympic qualification, British athlete Barr remains hopeful as he schedules two additional races for next week. Despite the setback, he found the championships exhilarating and rewarding. Apart from his individual endeavours, he is also a team member of the men’s 4x400m relay scheduled to participate in Rome, although it remains to be seen if he will compete in Tuesday’s heats.
In a separate event, British runner Louise Shanahan was compelled to settle for the sixth position in the women’s 800m heat, led to victory by Britain’s reigning champion Keely Hodgkinson in 2:02.46. Shanahan’s timing was 2:04.81, and she is now concentrating on securing qualification for her second Olympic stint. She expressed optimism, stating that she is well prepared and hopeful of a turnaround in her performance in the upcoming weeks.
Fellow athlete, Phil Healy also fell short of advancing to the semi-finals of the women’s 200m by three ranks, securing the fifth position in her heat with a time of 23.51. She now switches her focus to the women’s 4x400m relay scheduled for the next day.
Meanwhile, expectations run high for the women’s 400m final in Rome tonight, with tipped favourite Rhasidat Adeleke possessing the fastest qualifying time from Sunday’s semi-finals. Adeleke, whose Irish record stands at 49.20 seconds, is positioned in lane six, an arrangement she finds favourable.
Adeleke hopes to utilize her previous experience from her victorious participation in the mixed 4x400m relay last year, where she set her record-breaking time. Among the hopefuls is fellow team-mate Sharlene Mawdsley, who has also booked her spot in the finals. 25-year old Mawdsley finished second in her semi-final, trailing behind Dutch adversary Lieke Klaver.
20-year-old Nicola Tuthill is also participating in the women’s hammer final. The multi-pronged Irish endeavour thus continues, with several noteworthy performances anticipated from the team.
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