No joy for Ireland men or women in relay events
Saturday, 31 July 2010Ireland women's 4x100m relay team have failed to reach the final of the event at the European Athletics Championships in Barcelona. The Ireland men followed suit by failing to make the 4x400m final.
The Irish 4x100m quartet of Amy Foster, Niamh Whelan, Claire Brady and Ailis McSweeney posted a national record time of 43.93 seconds in Barcelona. That time gave Ireland fourth in heat one, one place out of the automatic qualification spots.
The ladies then had to rely on heat two being slower to ensure they progressed to the final as one of the two fastest losers. However, the second heat proved to be a swifter event with fourth and fifth placed Belgium and Sweden posting times of 43.82 seconds and 43.90 seconds respectively; relegating the Irish to third fastest losers and knocking them out of the competition.
The Ireland men's 4x400m relay team of Gordon Kennedy, Brian Murphy, Brian Gregan and Steven Colvert, went out a half hour after their female compatriots and also failed to make it out of their heat. The most notable aspect of Ireland's starting line-up was the absence of star-runner David Gillick, following his poor fifth-place finish in the men's 400m final on Friday night.
Running in heat one, Ireland posted a time of 3 minutes 7.21 seconds, finishing sixth - well outside the automatic three qualification spots and two fastest loser times.
Last out for Ireland in the morning session was the Ireland women's 4x400m relay team of Marian Andrews, Joanne Cuddihy, Brona Furlong and Michelle Carey. Yet again, there was disappointment for Ireland. The ladies came home fifth in heat two, with a time of 3 minutes 30.11 seconds - a new national record. This time was not enough to secure a spot in the final as the second fastest loser.
In other Irish news on Saturday, Derval O'Rourke won silver in the women's 100m hurdles, while Alistair Cragg dropped out of the men's 5,000m final.
