Precious Akpe-Moses run out of a podium place in 100m final at European Under-20 championships
After qualifying for the final ranked fourth, Akpe-Moses didn't enjoy the best of starts in a race dominated by Kelly Ann Doualla Edimo from Italy, who is still only 15, and clearly a star in the making, winning in 11.22 seconds.
For Akpe-Moses, who will also target a medal in the 200m, there was no making up ground and she finished seventh in 11.79, down on her lifetime best of 11.62 set when qualifying on Thursday. Britain's Mabel Akande won silver in 11.41, Uliana Stepaniuk from Ukraine winning bronze in 11.53.
Apke-Moses was competing eight years after her older sister Gina won this 100m title at the European Under-20 championships back in 2017, running 11.71 on that occasion.
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Conor Kelly once again went into his 400m semi-final the top ranked under-20 in Europe, his 45.85 clocked at the Morton Games in July the only sub-46 second entry. The Finn Valley AC athlete, who only turned 18 last month, again qualified with ease, winning in 46.58.
Ireland's Conor Kelly won his semi-final in the men's 400m at the European Athletics Under-20 Championships in Tampere, Finland. Photograph: Maja Hitij/Getty
'Today everything was nice, everything was flowing' said Kelly, admitting he'd been feeling a little ill before Thursday's heats – but ready to deliver his best in Saturday evening's final.
A similarly impressive run from Sean Doggett in his semi-final also saw him qualifying for the final, the Athenry AC athlete improving his lifetime best to 46.58 to nail second. The win there went to Ondrej Loupal from Czechia, who also improved his best to 46.36
'I know there's way more in me for this final tomorrow, I'm really excited to run it, it's great experience,' said Doggett.
Ireland's Sean Doggett qualifying for the final of the men's 400m at the European Athletics Under-20 Championships in Tampere, Finland. Photograph: Maja Hitij/Getty
In the shot put final earlier on Friday, Theo Hanlon from Suncroft AC finished 11th, with a best of 17.06m: 'Very happy overall with 11th, throwing against the best throwers in Europe and pretty much the world,' he said.
Cormac Dixon is the top-ranked athlete in the 3,000m, running 7:56.59 indoors in the US earlier this season, and the Tallaght AC athlete also cruised into the final on Thursday, that race also set for Saturday's evening session.
In the 50 years since John Treacy claimed Ireland's first medal in these championships, winning bronze in the 5,000m in Athens in 1975, plenty of other successful names have followed in his footsteps, including Mark Carroll, Ciara Mageean, Sarah Lavin, Sarah Healy, Kate O'Connor and Rhasidat Adeleke.
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