Sarah Healy and Sophie O’Sullivan lead Irish medal hopes at European U23 Championships

There’s no Rhasidat Adeleke, her priority now duly shifted, but there are still plenty of medal prospects among the 32 Irish athletes selected for the European Under-23 Championships in Espoo, Finland later this month.

Including two in one event alone: Sarah Healy and Sophie O’Sullivan are currently first and second in the 1,500 metres on the European Under-23 rankings for this season, the 4:01.75 Healy clocked in Ostrava last month now third on the Irish all-time list behind Ciara Mageean and Sonia O’Sullivan.

O’Sullivan’s daughter, Sophie, is also moving fast up the Irish all-time ranking, the 4:08.06 she clocked in Sacramento in May the now eight best on that list.

Adeleke was considering these championships, which run from July 13th-16th, before the start of her outdoor season. Now, after her startling series of record-breaking runs over 400 metres at the University of Texas, including victory in the NCAAs in an Irish record of 49.20 seconds, her priority is Budapest, and the world Athletics Championships at the end of August.

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Both Healy and O’Sullivan have already enjoyed success on the European underage stage, Healy winning a 1,500m-3,000m double at under-18 in 2018, with O’Sullivan winning silver in the 800m. Healy also won silver at under-20 in 2019.

O’Sullivan recently secured maximum points for Ireland at the European Team Championships, and won an 800m/1,500m double at the Irish Under-23 Championships at the weekend.

There’s ample experience too in Israel Olatunde, who also won the Irish Under-23 title at the weekend, and is coming back into the sort of form which saw him make the European senior final in Munich last August, running an Irish record of 10.17 seconds.

Nick Griggs also smashed the Under-20 championships record over 1,500m to clock 3:45.91, his time all the more impressive given his 3:40.63 in Watford less than 24 hours previous, although his priority will be the European Under-20 Championships in Israel next month.

There’s strong representation in the field events too, UCD’s Nicola Tuthill breaking the championship record in the hammer at the weekend with a best of 64.89, while Reece Ademola will look to make an impact in the long jump.

Oisín Lane also knocked over three seconds off his own championship record in the 5,000m walk with a winning time of 20:23, while Ava O’Connor knocked over a minute off the record in the 3,000m steeplechase, running10:21.23.

The selections include 24 individual competitors along with men’s 4x100m and 4x400m squads, where the medal prospects are also strong.

Irish team for European Under-23 Athletics Championships, Espoo, Finland, July 13th-16th

Adeyemi Talabi (Longford AC) 100m, Sophie O’Sullivan (Ballymore Cobh) 1,500m, Sarah Healy (UCD AC) 1,500m, Jane Buckley (Leevale) 5,000m, Anika Thompson (Leevale) 10,000m, Ava O’Connor (Tullamore Harriers) 3,000m SC, Ruby Millet (St Abban’s) long jump, Nicola Tuthill (UCD AC) hammer, Israel Olatunde (UCD AC) 100m & 4x100m, Oliver Swinney (Speed Development Project) 100m & 4x100m, Robert McDonnell (Galway City Harriers) 100m, 200m & 4x400m, Colin Doyle (Leevale) 200m & 4x100m, Jack Raftery (Donore Harriers) 400m & 4x400m, Callum Baird (Ballymena & Antrim) 400m & 4x400m, Cian McPhillips (UCD AC) 800m, Shay McEvoy (KCH) 5,000m, Callum Morgan (Candour Track Club) 5,000m, Abdel Laadjel (Donore Harriers) 10,000m, Shane Coffey (Naas) 10,000m, Seán McGinley (Finn Valley) 3,000m SC, James Dunne (Tullamore Harriers) 3,000m SC, James Ezeonu (Leevale) 110mH, Oisín Lane (Mullingar Harriers) 20km RW, Reece Ademola (Leevale) long jump, Gabriel Kehinde (Ennis Track Club) 4x100m, Runo Avayaro (Newbridge AC) 4x100m, Conor Morey (Leevale AC) 4x100m, Nelvin Appiah (Longford AC) 4x100m, Ciarán Carthy (DSD AC) 4x400m, Andrew Egan (Galway City Harriers) 4x400m, Aaron Keane (Tullamore Harriers) 4x400m, Hugo Magee (Crusaders AC) 4x400m