It is fitting that the historical setting of the Stadio Olimpico in Rome will host the latest edition of the European Athletics Championships, for what potentially will result in Irish athletes bringing home the largest medal haul ever from this event.
It was back in 1998 in Budapest when Ireland came home with the existing record of three medals, two gold (won by myself) and one bronze (won by Mark Carroll in the 5,000m), and this week’s team has the calibre to at least match that, and possibly win even more.
It will also be the largest Irish team ever to travel to a European Championships, with 48 athletes selected. It’s not just the size of the team but also the quality of the athletes in the team, each with their own level of expectation and hopes of delivering their best possible performance, medal-winning chances or not.
As it is also now just 49 days to the start of the Paris Olympics, some events may feel a little diluted, given some countries are missing some of the best athletes who rather focus all their efforts on the Olympics, than take on two big championship events in the one season.
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There are many ways to look at the decisions that athletes make: competing at a major championships can be draining for athletes, as they will have extra focus and exposure to deal with the highs and lows that come with going through rounds and the repetitive call room and check in procedures.
Still, for some, Rome is the perfect dress rehearsal for the Olympics; only on a smaller scale, taking place over just six days, with the marathon also reduced to a half marathon, which is ideal race preparation for athletes qualified for the Olympic marathon.
Last time out, in 2022, Ireland won two medals at the European Championships in Munich, and both medal winners there, Ciara Mageean with her 1,500m silver and Mark English with his 800m bronze, return to Rome and will be trying to go one better this time.
Ciara has also won a European bronze medal from back in 2016, so with her recent run of good form will be looking to complete the set and top the podium in Rome.
Ciara will be joined in the 1,500m by Sarah Healy, who has won European medals at youth, junior and Under-23 level, and will also be looking to stay close to Ciara and may even join her on the podium.
However, the athlete who comes in carrying the greatest expectation for Ireland is Rhasidat Adeleke, already a European and World finalist over the 400m.
Rhasidat has also won European and World medals across all underage championships over 100m and 200m, and her decision to line up on the first day of competition in the mixed 4x400m relay, a straight final on Friday night, might help take some pressure off her.
The relay squad is filled with a number of athletes that can step up if either or both Rhasidat and Sharlene Mawdsley decide to focus solely on the individual event in Rome, but this may just be Ireland’s best chance for a gold medal at these European Championships.
On paper, Rhasidat should have no problem qualifying for the 400m final (she gets a bye straight into the semi-finals as one of the top-12 ranked athletes) and then she will be in line to claim her first senior individual medal and the perfect race practice ahead of the Olympics.
On the world stage she finished in fourth place in Budapest last year so gaining some championship confidence and momentum may be just what is needed in Rome.
Rhasidat is likely to be joined in the European individual 400m final by Sharlene and they may then decide if they can cap the week lining up alongside Phil Healy and Sophie Becker on the final day of competition for the women’s 4x400m relay.
Mark English has put himself back in the frame with a recent fourth place finish in the Oslo Diamond league, and his second best time ever of 1:44.95. To pick up his third European medal would be a great achievement, but to do this he will need to stay close enough to capitalise on his closing speed.
So, focusing on the quality of the Irish team there is every indication that a medal haul of six is within the realms of possibility, with this delivering positive momentum and inspiration for younger and less experienced athletes to step up and get through to finals.
When you travel to a championship with such a large team there will undoubtedly be athletes that have never competed at this level before. Some will thrive and rise to the new level of competition while others may be overwhelmed and not quite deliver their best performance. Still, experience will be gained and valuable lessons learned.
Since Ciara picked up silver in Munich two years ago, she also finished fourth at the World Championships in Budapest last year, so is now operating on a level where she can compete with the world’s best, and qualifying for the final on Friday should be a formality.
Sarah Lavin should also make her way to the 100m hurdles final and will certainly be thinking she has a chance to medal. Though she will need to run the race of her life as this is one of the most competitive events with all the main contenders entered and planning to race.
Sarah is currently seeded fifth in Europe, with just .25 of a second separating the top five athletes. It will take an Irish record for Sarah to deliver a medal and on current form she could come very close.
Thomas Barr is not just competing in the mixed 4x400m relay but will also pit himself against the best 400m hurdlers in Europe, where a place in the final would certainly boost his confidence ahead of Paris, or indeed determine if he puts all his focus on the mixed relay team effort in Paris.
When athletes are competitive in the individual events and believe that they belong in finals, it’s a big decision to compromise and focus solely on the relay.
The depth in Irish 400m running is at an all-time high and there will be many options available but it may take a strong coach to pick the best team and get the best individual athletes on board to deliver the best combined team result.
This is where Rome is so important for Irish athletes and relay coaches right now, as they look ahead to Paris and try to capitalise on the opportunities that may arise in the mixed 4x400m relay, probably one of our best medal chances on the biggest stage of all come Paris next month.
