Donegal athletes miss out in game of inches at European Championships

Ethan Dewhirst and Caoimhe Gallen were inches from spots in finals at the European U18 Athletics Championships in Slovakia.

Letterkenny AC's Erin Friel helped the Irish medley relay team to a new National U18 record, but they missed out on qualification while Cranford AC's Caolan McFadden was ninth in a 1500m heat.

Tir Chonaill AC athlete Dewhirst clocked a lifetime best of 52.65 seconds in his 400m hurdles heat on Friday and was just 0.05 seconds off that mark in the semi-final.

The Glenties native ran 52.70for fifth in the first of the three semi-finals – a time that wasn't swift enough for a place in the final.

“A bit disappointed, but it's my own fault,” Dewhirst said. “Today, I only ran a 300m hurdle race, I let myself down in the last 100m. I'm happy to be here. Representing your country is the highest honour you can ever do.

“I'm just annoyed. I wanted another big PB, but you win some, you lose some. Its a very competitive event. Technically I was quite well, but somehow the last 100m absolutely killed me.”

Sebastian Schuch from Germany won the semi in a new PB of 52.20 with Serbia's Nebojsa Ilic also qualifying when running 52.44.

Turkey's Kerem Endamli was third in 52.48, but missed out on a place in Sunday's final.

In Friday's heat, Dewhirst shaved over a second off his previous best time, the 53.82 seconds he clocked to qualify for these Championships in May.

Dewhirst breezed into the semi-finals by taking over a second off his PB in Banská Bystrica.

Gallen was just one place off qualifying for the women's hammer final. The Lifford-Strabane AC athlete was seventh in her qualification pool on Thursday morning in Slovakia.

Gallen threw a best of 58.83m, but Poland's Zuzanna Smiglewska's 59.06m edged Gallen out of the final.

Overall, Gallen was 13th of the qualifiers with 12 moving into the final.

“I'm not too happy about it because I wished for over 60m,” St Columba's College, Stranorlar student Gallen said.

“The conditions are very warm and I'm not used to it really. It's so warm out on the track. It's roasting. I was last in my pool so i had to wait, wait and wait.”

Gallen reached the hammer out to 63.58m – her personal best with the 3kg hammer - when competing in Palafrugell, Spain in early June to secure her spot.

Gallen is a daughter of Sharon Foley, who became the first Donegal-born woman to compete at the World Athletics Championships when taking part in the high jump in 1993 at the Gottlieb-Daimler Stadion in Stuttgart.

Friel helped the Irish medley relay team to a new National U18 record, the Letterkenny Ac athlete doing the 300m leg as the Irish quartet finished in 2:11.24.

Friel took the baton from Katie Doherty for the third leg with Maria Zakharenko taking the girls in green home.

Elena O'Sullivan opened the running for Ireland, who finished fifth in their heat and did not, in spite of their new national mark, make it through.

Earlier this year, Friel won the Irish Indoor Under-17 400m, going 57.85 seconds, and added the 200m bronze.

She also won gold at the Tailteann Games recently, triumphing in the 300m in 39.61 seconds.

McFadden finished ninth in his 1500m heat on Thursday evening.

In the third and final heat in the 1500m, McFadden finished in 4:03.97 and did not advance.

McFadden's PB over the distance is the 3:52.19 he clocked at the Mary Peters Track in Belfast in May to beat the qualifying mark for the Europeans.