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Men's 400m relay team advance to European final

Barr anchored the Irish team as they qualified for the 4x400m final
Barr anchored the Irish team as they qualified for the 4x400m final

Ireland's men's 4x400m relay team of Brian Gregan, Craig Lynch, David Gillick and Thomas Barr have qualified for the final at the European Championships.

The quartet finished fourth in their semi-final in a time 3:04.42, which was good enough to squeeze into tomorrow's final as one of two fastest losers. 

In addition to competing against Europe's top nations in the event, which follows tradition by bringing the curtain down on the week in Amsterdam, the Irish team will also be seeking to qualify for the Olympic Games in Rio, with the current cut-off mark at 3:04.05.

Sinead Denny, Phil Healy, Jenna Bromell and Ciara McCallon ran a season's best 3:34.02, but finished last in their heat for the women’s 4x400m relay.

Ukraine won the heat in a time of 3:27.75, but Great Britain set the pace in the first heat with a blistering time of 3:26.42.

Healy was back in action in the evening session as she took part in the 4x100m relay alongside sister Joan Healy, Sarah Murray and Niamh Whelan.

The Irish team did not progress to the final, but did set a season's best time of 44.29 secs as they finished seventh in their heat.

Ireland also lined up in the men's 4x100m relay and, on their first appearance in the event, the team of Jason Smyth, Eanna Madden, Jonathon Browning and Marcus Lawler finished eighth in their heat in a time of 39.52.

Christine McMahon put in a brave performance in the 400m hurdles but failed to qualify for the final.

Running in the last of three semi-finals, the 24-year-old knew she would have to smash her personal best to have any chance of progressing and was in pole position as she entered the home straight among the leaders. 

But her blistering early pace exacted its toll in the final 70 metres as the Ballymena and Antrim athlete faded to fifth in a time of 56.87, the second fastest run of her career.

"I was disappointed with my performance yesterday," McMahon said. 

"I realised I hadn't gone hard enough on the back straight. I went for a more risky stride pattern today and it worked out so I'm much more happy with that run."

Deirdre Byrne was left to fly the flag alone in the 5,000m after the withdrawal of Mary Cullen, whose hamstring problems prevented her from reaching the start line.

Byrne finished the race in 10th in a time of 15:53.67 but was well behind winner Yasemin Can, the controversial Kenyan-born Turk, who doubled up after her win in the 10,000m.

Sligo athlete Cullen took had been hoping to achieve the qualifying standard for next month's Olympics, but wrote on Twitter:

"I've dealt with disappointments before but this hurts alot more did everything to give myself another chance to try and qualify for Rio...after coming close in April I thought it was there and it would come but injuries have a mind of their own and strike at the worst time.

"...just gutted!! I know I'm not the only athlete to deal with setbacks but this might take a minute. Best of luck to deridre byrne [sic] tonight."

Earlier in the day, Barry Pender was in action in the men’s high jump qualifying rounds, but fell short of the 2.25m qualfiying standard, with 2.14m his best successful jump.

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