Ireland's new U20 gold medalist Conor Kelly to follow Rhasidat Adeleke's footsteps in Texas move
IRELAND'S LATEST RISING star in athletics, Conor Kelly, has confirmed he will follow in Rhasidat Adeleke's footsteps by attending the University of Texas.
Kelly collected his 400m gold medal at the European U20 championships today, having stormed to victory in yesterday's race, clocking a new U20 national record of 45.83 seconds while he was at it.
Speaking today to Athletics Ireland after stepping off the podium, Kelly said, 'I couldn't stop smiling, it was incredible. I was probably up a little later than I should've been. I woke up a little late, not much sleep…This is the last week before I go to Texas (for college) so I better get a good goodbye in.'
Kelly raced alongside Adeleke in the mixed 4x400m at the world relay championships in May.
Today marked the final day of the championships in Tampere, Finland, with Sean Cronin (1500m) and the Irish women's 4x100m relay team finishing eighth in their respective finals.
Racing in a stacked, tactical 1500m final. Clonliffe Harriers clubman Cronin dug deep down the home straight to cross the line in 3:50.80.
Advertisement
'I'm really proud of how I ran that race. I think I got as much out of it as I could have,' he told Athletics Ireland. 'I'm delighted with the progression I've made this season, I think I've really stepped up. I've not just trained harder; I've trained smarter and done all the little things right in between.'
An hour earlier, the Women's 4x100m relay team of Fatima Amusan (Leevale AC), Molly Daly (Kilkenny City Harriers), Leila Colfer (St Laurence O'Toole AC) and Precious Akpe-Moses (Blackrock AC) clocked a time of 45.17 seconds in finishing eighth in their relay final, which was faster than their heat time.
Akpe-Moses – who was racing at these championships for the eighth time, having made the finals of both the 100m and 200m – reflected on her performance and that of the team with pride.
'It's been a long championship,' she said. 'We made it to the final, did what we could do, and we're satisfied.'
After a long two days of competition, Enya Silkena (Ratoath AC) finished 17th in the Women's Heptathlon with 4693 points. Silkena was in action in the Long Jump (5.63m), Javelin Throw (39.48m) and 800m (2:30.19) today.
Seamus Clarke (Moy Valley AC) was unable to finish the final of the Men's 10,000m Race Walk due to injury.
Written by Gavin Cooney and originally published on The 42 whose award-winning team produces original content that you won't find anywhere else: on GAA, League of Ireland, women's sport and boxing, as well as our game-changing rugby coverage, all with an Irish eye. Subscribe
here
.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Irish Sun
36 minutes ago
- The Irish Sun
Aidan O'Brien ‘very sweet' on little-known horse who's halved in price for £500,000 Ebor at York
His last run was an eyecatcher LONDON CALLING Aidan O'Brien 'very sweet' on little-known horse who's halved in price for £500,000 Ebor at York AIDAN O'BRIEN is 'very sweet' on a little-known horse who's halved in price for the £500,000 Ebor at York. The blockbuster 1m6f handicap is the feature race of the Ebor meeting and will be run live on ITV1 on Saturday week. 1 London City, the grey in the blue and orange silks seen here finishing behind Group 1 winner Al Riffa, has halved in price for the Ebor and Aidan O'Brien is said to be 'very sweet' on the four-year-old's chances in the big York handicap worth £500,000 Credit: Inpho Willie Mullins currently has the 7-2 favourite in the shape of recent Galway winner Hipop De Loire. But as good as Mullins is at targeting Flat races with his dual purpose stars, no one can match O'Brien. That being said, it's the Group races he gobbles up. O'Brien has won the Ebor only once, when three-year-old Mediterranean held on under Mick Kinane to win at 16-1 24 years ago. He's drawn a blank since then, with Mullins winning it twice and fellow Irish jumps trainers Gordon Elliott and Henry de Bromhead getting involved too. Mullins has a strong hand this year with Ethical Diamond also short in the betting. But one who is continually being clipped is O'Brien's London City, who has been slashed from 20-1 to as short as 10s. A son of Justify, the four-year-old colt is out of O'Brien's multiple Group 1-winning mare Winter. He already has a win at York to his name, winning a Class 3 handicap over 1m4f on the Knavesmire in May last year. A disappointing run at Listed level the following month came before a 372-day break. London City was again down the field in a big handicap at the Curragh in June but caught the eye at Group 2 level when last seen. In the rear throughout under Ronan Whelan, the 33-1 grey was miles out of it at the weights but gained some ground late on to finish sixth in a 1m6f race won by Group 1 winner Al Riffa. London City is set to carry 9st8lb in the Ebor - 2lb less than Hipop De Loire - and looks open to any amount of improvement. Indeed, a recent Sporting Life article said O'Brien was 'very sweet' on his chances during a recent yard visit. Sky Bet Ebor odds via Sky Bet 3-1 Hipop De Loire 8-1 French Master, Ethical Diamond 11-1 London City 14-1 Shadow Dance 20-1 French Duke, Aeronautic, Mr Percy, Dancing In Paris, Nurburgring 25-1 bar FREE BETS - GET THE BEST SIGN UP DEALS AND RACING OFFERS Commercial content notice: Taking one of the offers featured in this article may result in a payment to The Sun. You should be aware brands pay fees to appear in the highest placements on the page. 18+. T&Cs apply. Remember to gamble responsibly A responsible gambler is someone who: Establishes time and monetary limits before playing Only gambles with money they can afford to lose Never chases their losses Doesn't gamble if they're upset, angry or depressed Gamcare – Gamble Aware – Find our detailed guide on responsible gambling practices here.
Extra.ie
36 minutes ago
- Extra.ie
Liverpool icon heaps praise on Caoimhin Kelleher
Caoimhín Kelleher was widely seen as one of the best backup goalkeepers in the Premier League during his time at Liverpool. This summer, the Irish shot-stopper finally left the shadow of Alisson Becker and is preparing for his first season as a number one in the big leagues with Brentford. While Liverpool fans were disappointed to see him leave Anfield, the move is definitely progressive for his career. Kelleher completed a move to Brentford this summer. Pic:Another former Reds goalkeeper who knows a thing or two about delivering on the big stage is Jerzy Dudek. Dudek played 186 times for Liverpool but is easily best known for his penalty shootout heroics in the 2005 Champions League final in Istanbul. The former Poland stopper has heaped praise on Kelleher for his time at Anfield but believes that Arne Slot has another very good backup in Giorgi Mamardashvili. The Georgian signed for Liverpool from Valencia last August but played the 2024/25 season at the Spanish club. Dudek believes that Mamardashvili will be a key player for the Premier League winners this season, similarly to how Kelleher was over the past couple of years. Dudek was Liverpool's hero in 2005. Pic: Richard Sellers/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images He told the official Liverpool website: 'I think we have two really good goalkeepers. We also had two really good goalkeepers because Kelleher was absolutely amazing when he had the opportunity to play because Alisson couldn't, and this is what you need. 'You know from the past that the competitions are long, there are many, many games to come. You never know what is going to happen and you need two good goalkeepers. 'Alisson is, in my opinion, one of the best goalkeepers in the world and he is the No.1 and then Mamardashvili, he can be a really good replacement. He has got all the capacities to be at the top of the game, which absolutely we need. 'For every position you need to have a good replacement, especially in goal.' Kelleher made 46 appearances for Liverpool over the last two seasons. Kelleher earned seven winner's medals at Liverpool. Pic: Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images Last year, he played 10 times in the Premier League and another 10 times across the FA Cup, EFL Cup and Champions League. Dudek continued: 'So far, from what I have seen, the relationship between the goalkeepers here is very good and I hope it stays like that because there are so many competitions and everyone will get a chance. 'It's not like it used to be where one goalkeeper could play 300 games in a row! It is nothing like this anymore so now you will get the chance to play.' During his time at Liverpool, Kelleher kept 24 clean sheets in 67 appearances. He is also a record-holder, having won the most penalty shootouts of any Liverpool goalkeeper with four. Kelleher joined the Reds from Cork side Ringmahon Rangers in 2015 and earned seven winner's medals at the club. Giorgi Mamardashvili is Liverpool's new backup goalkeeper. Pic: Joe Prior/Visionhaus via Getty Images Dudek, who also joined Liverpool from a foreign league, believes that adapting to the Premier League will be a challenge for new man Mamardashvili. He added: 'The game is quicker. There is much more pressure on the player and he will probably find that out very soon! 'There is much more pressure on the goalkeeper, especially now when you are trying to build the play with your feet but also with crosses, and this is a huge difference between the Premier League and when you play in the Champions League, for example. 'It is a different style of refereeing and everything that is a foul in Europe is 'play on' in England. As a goalkeeper you have to accept it and be strong in your mind that it doesn't matter what is going to happen, you need to deal with it. 'I found this out at the beginning when I joined Liverpool and realised I had to adapt. I didn't accept it at first but you have to be really strong and you need to respect it because it is the same for everyone.'
Extra.ie
2 hours ago
- Extra.ie
Sport legends fundraise for Cork girl who lost legs on farm
Irish sporting icons have been fundraising for a 13-year-old Cork girl who lost both of her legs in a farm accident. The 'Stand for Féile' fundraiser has been joined by a broad range of sports stars after Féile O'Sullivan suffered the life-altering incident in which she suffered severe lower abdominal injuries. Féile, who is from Allihies on the Beara Peninsula, currently remains in hospital at CHI Crumlin in Dublin. Féile lost her legs in a farm accident. Pic: 'Stand for Féile' fundraiser. She has undergone around 30 operations and procedures, including the amputation of both legs. Former Kerry footballer and seasoned rugby player Mick Galwey is the latest sportsperson to support the fundraiser. He has joined with a number of GAA stars, including Cork's Patrick Horgan, All-Ireland winning Tipperary hurler Darragh Stakelum and Clare legend Anthony Daly, in posting videos of their support online. Féile's club, Garnish GAA, launched the appeal nine days ago with the permission of her family to help raise funds for her rehabilitation in the months and years ahead. The fundraiser has raised over €468,000 so far. The accident occurred just before Féile's 13th birthday and she has shown 'great strength and bravery' in the weeks since. Féile will require intensive care for months, followed by intensive rehabilitation, and a complete adjustment to a new way of life. The fundraiser states: 'Anyone lucky enough to know Féile will tell you how full of life, energy, fun, kindness and what a pure messer she is. 'She adores dogs and horses. Farming is in her blood, and she loves everything about nature, outdoors, staying active. 'She's also a true sports star – whether football, soccer, gymnastics, or anything involving movement and fun, Féile is always giving it her all, with a smile and a sparkle in her eyes. 'This accident hasn't changed who she is, but has just changed what she now needs.' Féile will require intensive care and rehabilitation. Pic: 'Stand for Féile' fundraiser Féile's family, along with her community, are all 'heartbroken' and are preparing for the 'enormous' emotional and financial toll. Garnish GAA Development Officer and Cork County Councillor Finbarr Harrington says they are overwhelmed by the response to their appeal saying it has been 'phenomenal'. He remarked: 'We are a very small club, in a small rural parish of Allihies on the Beara Peninsula, 100 miles from Cork and probably the furthermost pitch from Croke Park. 'The family are so grateful for this. We reached out to other GAA clubs in the Beara Division and further afield and to GAA stars, and they've really rowed in behind the challenge.' As well as the online challenge, fundraising events are also being organized locally from cakes sales to sea-kayaking. Harrington added that Féile is a 'unbelievably outgoing girl' and that every donation 'no matter how big or small will go directly towards Féile's care'. He said: 'She is going to face the challenge, but she has a long road ahead of her. The funds won't ease the pain of what has happened but it will take away the financial worry for her mum, Maureen.' People can donate here.
