News

Oisin Joyce (Lake District AC) has won Ireland’s first ever throws medal at the World Athletics U20 Championships, claiming a superb bronze in the Men’s Javelin competition in Lima, Peru.

The 19-year-old produced the performance of his life to make the podium, extending his own Irish U20 record out to 73.89m, a 17cm improvement on his previous best.

That throw from Joyce, who is from Ballinrobe in Mayo, came in the first round in cool and damp conditions, and it remained good enough to maintain a podium position for the duration of the competition.

It took a final round throw of 76.81m from Slovenian athlete Tom Teršek to nudge Joyce out of the silver medal position. Teršek’s throw saw him claim gold, while China’s Xiaobo Wang had to settle for second.

Joyce, who is coached by his father Pádraic, claims what is only Ireland’s fifth medal at these championships. Antoine Burke won silver in the Men’s High Jump in 1994, Ciara Mageean claimed 1500m silver in 2010, Sommer Lecky won silver in the Women’s High Jump in 2018, while the Women’s 4x100m relay team of Molly Scott, Ciara Neville, Gina Akpe-Moses, Patience Jumbo-Gula and Rhasidat Adeleke won silver in the same year.

Result

• Oisin Joyce – Men’s Javelin Throw – Final – 73.89m NU20R (Bronze)

Irish Men’s 4X400M Relay Storm into Final

The Irish Men’s 4x400m Relay team qualified for the final of the event on Day Four of the World Athletics U20 Championships in Lima, Peru.

The quartet of Conor Kelly (Derry Track Club), Adam Courtney (Ballymena and Antrim AC), Sean Doggett (Athenry AC) and Stephen Mannion (South Galway AC) clocked a sensational new national U20 record of 3:08.94 to place third in their heat.

Mannion had been part of the quartet that had held the previous record of 3:09.75, which was set at the European U20 Championships in Jerusalem last summer.

This afternoon’s time was good enough to advance as one of the fastest non-automatic qualifiers to tomorrow night’s final, with the Irish the fifth fastest of the nine teams who progressed.

Recent European U18 bronze medallist Kelly led out the team splitting 47.10 from the blocks. Courtney battled hard in the second leg before handing the baton to Doggett. Despite racing for the fourth time this week the Athenry athlete, who made his senior international debut in the Men’s 4x400m at the European Athletics Championships in Rome in June, kept his team in contention.

Mannion then had the task of anchoring the team home and did so in style with a lightning 46.57 leg, as he battled all the way to the line against his German counterpart.

Ireland have been drawn in lane three for the final, with the team selection to be confirmed tomorrow afternoon. The race will bring a thrilling five days of competition to a close.

Meanwhile, Fintan Dewhirst (Tír Chonaill AC) and David Davitt (Clonliffe Harriers AC) both missed out on final places in the Men’s 400m Hurdles.

Racing in the second of three semi-finals Dewhirst crossed the line in fifth place in 51.65s, with Davitt just behind in sixth clocking 51.93s.

Results

• Men’s 4x400m Relay – Heat 2/3 – 3:08.94 q NU20R (3^rd)
• Fintan Dewhirst – Men’s 400m Hurdles – SF 2/3 – 51.65S (5^th – 11^th overall)
• David Davitt – Men’s 400m Hurdles – SF 2/3 – 51.93s (6^th – 13^th overall)