2022 European Athletics Championships, Munich

Hamachi

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119499475#Comment_119499475

I get that, but our two ‘subs’ are Cliodhna Manning and Roisin Harrison, both of whom are 52.xx runners. Competent, but not top end. Had they run the heats, we likely wouldn’t have qualified. They would almost certainly have been eaten alive in the final.

The fact is, they all need to get better, except Adeleke obviously. Not easy, but most of them are early 20s and have room for improvement. Sophie Becker has potential to step up to really augment the squad as the clear number 2.

Dodge

lol @ the idea we “pump money” into athletics (or any sport other than GAA for that matter)

Usually only see these nonsense posts at Olympics time

deisedude

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119499189#Comment_119499189

What a load of horsesh1t and your lauding of the rugby team in comparison is laughable. Rugby is played seriously in like 8 countries and we still can't make a world cup semi final

Strazdas

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119499524#Comment_119499524

I would go with the 'glass half full' angle. Becker and Maudsley are absolutely fine and will improve - if we could just find another two of their calibre (Rhasidat will always be the superstar of the team and ahead of all of them).

Enduro

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119499189#Comment_119499189

The only embarrassing thing here is your post. Qualifying for a European championship is a massive achievement in itself. Just ask anyone with an interest in Irish soccer if they would regard the Irish soccer team qualifying for the European championships as an massive achievement, irrespective of where they placed in the championship themselves.

phelimcas

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119500133#Comment_119500133

Sad to see such negative comments on the relay performance. The top teams have such strength in depth the can bring in fresh quality runners in each round.

The task for Ireland was to be competitive at this level as we are not one of the premier athletic countries in Europe. We've never been in the top division of the team championship

With the numbers reaching finals and with the positivity among the team evident from the interviews it has to be seen as a step forward. We still have English, Lavin and the 10000m guys to run today and we know they will all put in a shift.

Can we do better, no doubt we can but it will take incremental improvement across the board which we have shown over the last week. We need to keep focused on bringing numbers through with higher standards.

Remember we hosted a great Eurocross and produced medals only a few months ago. The next championship is in Turin and there is every chance or more medals if we get our best teams lined up.

fryup

nobody was expecting us to medal surely?

Cosmo Kramer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119499524#Comment_119499524

It's easy to criticize in hindsight, but we qualified with 2 seconds to spare despite Maudsley jogging the last 50 of the heat. I'm fairly sure we could have rested at least one of the four and still qualified. Fifth was as good as we were going to get in this race anyway, but I think we need to back the full team if we are to have success in the event in future.

Girly Gal

We were never going to win a medal in the relay, there was a clear gap between the top 4 teams and the rest. Also at the moment it's a tall order to reach a final without Rhasidat running in the heats, realistically we need to get to that point, however that's not likely in the short term. Until we can reach a final without Rhasidat, she should run the last leg so she can conserve some energy if in a strong qualifying position rather than running flat out as she had to in the third leg. Also we should look at subbing one of the other girls after the heats e.g. for last night take Healy out who faded badly last night and in the heat and replace with a fresh athlete or save Healy for the final and have another girl run the heat.

A great effort from the girls and they have potential to improve. Hopefully they can continue to make finals, will be more difficult at global level with more competition.

Strazdas

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119500459#Comment_119500459

I think the disappointment came from the fact that we ran slower in the final than in the semi. Even the girls themselves were disappointed with their performance, you could tell from their comments and their body language.

But we're definitely going in the right direction. We were sixth in Europe and only narrowly run out of fifth position.

YFlyer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119499189#Comment_119499189

The highest Ireland came in the rugby world cup?

YFlyer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119500476#Comment_119500476

Sonia was suggesting that Anekele should be the only athlete to race the individual. Surely there is enough time for recovery between Monday and Friday? A race can remove the ole cobwebs.

horsebox1977

Any link to the split times?

Can't find them anywhere.

AFAIK it was still the second fastest time from an Irish relay team. I think it was a case of the other teams being much stronger than anything else.

Strazdas

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119501525#Comment_119501525

For some reason, the official website only posted the splits of the winners. Hopefully they become available at some point.

yerwanthere123

Would love the tournament to end on a high from an Irish perspective tonight, maybe some outside chances of Sarah Lavin or Mark English getting on a podium? Obviously Lavin would have to qualify for the final first.

The men's 800 seems a real toss up though, so many guys with not too dissimilar PB's. I suppose given his 1500m strength you'd have to make Wightman the favourite, but after that there could be some real surprises.

waynescales1

12.79 for Lavin, surely enough for a small q.

Edit: Yep, PBs her way into the final.

HeidiHeidi

Jesus, the ad breaks on RTE would drive you mad.

Thankfully BBC give a few nods to the Irish competitors, I've all but given up on the Irish coverage.

Strazdas

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119502270#Comment_119502270

Yes, taking two ad breaks like that in quick succession was not a good look. Seemed to be only five or six minutes between the two.

yerwanthere123

Bronze! Excellent.

HeidiHeidi

Good man Mark English!!

4Ad

Brilliant by English...

Strazdas

Well done Mark. Following Garcia all the way was actually a great idea, it may have helped pull him to the bronze medal.

Another ad break! What are RTE playing at?

4Ad

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119502270#Comment_119502270

And that annoying 3 advert..

waynescales1

Enjoyed Mark’s demeanour this week. Looked focused, like he was there to do a job. Got his medal, fair play to him.

dastardly00

Congrats to Mark English. He looked very comfortable and assured during that run.

Cosmo Kramer

Superb run from Mark English, thought he might have boxed himself in but he got the tactics spot on. A second well-deserved medal to round off as positive a week as I can remember for Irish athletics in years.

Fantastic from Lavin to run a PB to make the final as well. Nearly the whole team seem to be on it this week, great to see.

Have been enjoying the non-stop athletics feed on the BBC iPlayer as well. British commentators but seems to be an intentionally unbiased world feed. No need to put up with adverts every 5 minutes on RTE or Gabby Logan eulogising about Dina or whatever other British athlete is flavour of the day on the main BBC coverage.

4Ad

Mark said he was goosed..by God he didn't look it...

DJIMI TRARORE

That was a pleasant surprise,good bronze

4Ad

I never knew we had 2 Irish in the 10'000mts...

yerwanthere123

Gidey still in this with a mile to go!