Silver lining for Seamus in Slovakia

‘I’m going to get even quicker.’ 

That was the warning delivered emphatically to his rivals by Ballina racewalker Seamus Clarke on Sunday when the Moy Valley athlete recorded his biggest success yet, by winning silver in the men’s 5000m at the European U18 Athletics Championships in Slovakia.

Overcoming what he described as the hottest conditions he has ever raced in, Seamus lowered his own National U18 record time to 21:05.70 and immediately set his sights firmly on breaking the 21-minute barrier in the near future.

The European U18 Athletics Championships took place all last week in the city of Banska Bystrica where Seamus was joined by his Moy Valley clubmate Clodagh Gill who battled the hot conditions to finish 15th in Saturday’s 3000m final.

Clarke took second place in his event when crossing the line just four seconds behind Italian Alessio Coppola and six seconds in front of another Italian, Nicolo Vidal. His Irish teammate Matthew Newell from Tuam AC was seventh in 22:01.44.

“It feels amazing. I’m hurting a good bit now but it means so much,” said Seamus Clarke shortly after the race.

“I remember the pace, there were a lot of spurts. And sometimes they’d fall back and I didn’t want a slow race so I’d inject… you might have seen me take the lead once or twice. That was why.

“It started fast but after a mile or so it started to slow. The first 3k I felt pretty good, the last 2k is probably some of the worse pain I’ve felt. It was all just willpower, thinking of the podium. That’s what got me through it,” explained the student at Ballina’s St Muredach’s College.

Clarke said his focus is always to concentrate on his own race and not worry too much about the progress of his competitors, whether they’re in front or behind.

“I knew going off what I’d start at and what I’d try and work towards and that’s what I did. I focused on myself.

“It’s the warmest I’ve ever raced in. I definitely found that a big part and maybe I could push on and get another time. I feel like there’s more to me than that time but if it’s second in Europe, I’m not going to complain.” 

Seamus Clarke, who received the Young Sportsperson of the Year accolade at the  Western People Mayo Sports Stars Awards earlier this year, acknowledged the support and coaching he has received from Moy Valley AC – and the growing awareness of people around Ballina for what he is doing.

“It’s been unbelievable.

“When I’m out training, at the start when people wouldn’t be used to it I might get a few funny looks but then after a while people are saying ‘how are you keeping, how are you getting on?’ so even that is a big confidence boost, that people know me and know what I’m doing. That support has been immense.

“And even around the stadium, the Irish team have been unbelievable. I could see Clodagh Gill cheering me on, her parents, everyone bringing it together and helping me to push on.”