Emily Maher is through to the final of the 100 metres in the European Junior championships in Riga today after running a personal best in her semi-final.

Maher was timed at 11.73 seconds in finishing third in a race won by the French athlete Adrina Lamale in a very quick 11.55 seconds.

Ominously, the second semi-final was even faster than the first with the Finnish runner Johanna Mannninen winning in 11.33 seconds to set up a fascinating duel with Lamale in the final.

Later today, Maher will return to the track to join Ciara Sheehy in the opening round of the 200 metres. Colm McLean, the talented Belfast athlete, is due to open his challenge for the 1,500 metres title in the afternoon.

Derval O'Rourke, from the Leevale club in Cork, set a national junior record of 13.82 seconds in the women's 100 metres hurdles but still finished only fourth in a heat won by the Russian Mariya Koroteyeva in 13.66 seconds.

Ciaran McDonagh, still harbouring hope of a place in Ireland's European Championship squad, expects to return to competition at Tullamore a week on Sunday. McDonagh, who has achieved a B qualifying standard of 7.95 metres for Seville, suffered a muscular injury when competing at Taillinn last Sunday.

Fortunately the damage was not as serious as first thought and the Wexford long jumper says that he is fully fit and confident of selection.