Ireland miss out on promotion at European Athletics Team Championships
Ireland finished fifth in Division 2 of the European Athletics Team Championships in Slovenia on Sunday, narrowly missing out on promotion to the top tier of the continental competition.
Strong performances from the likes of Sarah Lavin (Emerald AC), Nicola Tuthill (UCD AC), Cian McPhillips (UCD AC) and the mixed 4x400m relay team kept the 43-strong team in contention right up to the last few events.
Lavin took Ireland's only win of the weekend, earning maximum points in the women's 100m hurdles. The Limerick sprinter clocked a time of 12.82 seconds to claim victory.
Team captain Marcus Lawler (Clonliffe Harriers AC) was sixth in the men's 200m, while in the women's event Lauren Roy (City of Lisburn AC) finished just outside her personal best, clocking 23.32 seconds to finish fifth.
The mixed 4x400m relay team of Jack Raftery (Donore Harriers), Cliodhna Manning (Kilkenny City Harriers), Callum Baird (Ballymena and Antrim AC) and Sharlene Mawdsley combined to clock a time of 3:14.81, finishing second in their heat and fourth overall.
Cian McPhillips (UCD AC) made a strong return from injury to finish third in the men's 800m. The Longford native closed strongly in the final 100m to cross the line in a time of 1:46.37.
In the women's 1500m, Laura Nicholson (Bandon AC) finished fourth on her Irish senior international debut, the 25-year-old clocking 4:20.48.
Finley Daly (Sligo AC) ran bravely to also place fourth in the men's 3000m steeplechase. The Galway-based athlete clocked a time of 8:51.89.
In the field, Nicola Tuthill (UCD AC) fouled her opening two throws but composed herself well to finish the competition in third position, her best throw coming in the fourth round at 70.50m.
Team captain Niamh Fogarty (Raheny Shamrock AC) produced a lifetime best of 14.29 metres in the women's shot put to finish seventh, while Conor Callinan (Leevale AC) also recorded the best result of his career, clearing 4.90 metres in the pole vault.
In the men's javelin, Conor Cusack (Lake District AC) impressed to claim a eighth-place finish, throwing a best of 72.43 metres.
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