Moy Valley duo selected for Irish athletics team
Seamus Clarke, pictured with mum Deirdre, will represent Ireland along with Clodagh Gill at the European Athletics U18 Championships which take place in Banska Bystrica, Slovakia, later this month.
Moy Valley AC duo Seamus Clarke and Clodagh Gill will travel to Slovakia next month with the Athletics Ireland U18 squad for the upcoming European Athletics U18 Championships which take place in Banska Bystrica from July 18-21.
This year’s team has strength in depth right across a range of track and field events. Gill has continued to impress this season and will be another looking to chase down a top 10 in the 3000m, while Clarke, along with Tuam AC’s Matthew Newell, are both ranked inside the top six in the 5k race walk.
Newall’s clubmate Savanagh O’Callaghan (Tuam) will lead the way for Ireland in the women’s 5k race walk, with the 16-year-old sure to revel on the big stage as she looks to gain more top-level racing experience following her prestigious win in the US earlier this season.
The European Athletics U18 Championships was created to promote higher-level competition among the most talented members of this age group in Europe and provide a stepping stone to the U20 age group.
Ireland has enjoyed medal success at previous editions of the U18 Championships, most recently with Fintan Dewhirst taking silver in the 400m hurdles back in 2022. Other medallists have included Gina Akpe Moses (100m silver, 2016), Molly Scott (100mh bronze, 2016), Rhasidat Adeleke (200m gold, 2018), Sophie O’Sullivan (800m silver, 2018), and Sarah Healy (1500m gold and 800m gold, 2018).
