Ireland Scupper Bol’s Bid for Triple Euro Gold

AFP/APP

Rome:An inspired Irish quartet led by Rhasidat Adeleke outstripped Femke Bol’s favoured Dutch team to snatch gold in a thrilling 4x400m mixed relay at the European championships on Friday.

The Irish four, also featuring Christopher O’Donnell, Thomas Barr and Sharlene Mawdsley, clocked a championship record of 3min 09.92sec, just ahead of silver medal winners Italy, in a show of Olympic intent just 49 days out from the Paris Games.

Bol, looking to repeat her triple gold showing from the last Euros in Munich in 2022, was left with too much to do on the anchor leg, albeit doing exceptionally well to make up a full 30 metres in a last-lap 49.21sec to snatch bronze.

Bol will now turn her attention to her speciality, the 400m hurdles — in which she is world champion, and then the women’s 4x400m relay.

Slovenia’s Kristjan Ceh, who was 2022 world champion and won silver behind Sweden’s Daniel Stahl in Budapest last year, managed a best of 68.08m to win the men’s discus.

Austrian Lukas Weisshaidinger claimed silver with 67.70m, with Lithuania’s defending European champion and recently-crowned world record holder Mykolas Alekna taking bronze (67.48).

Stahl, also the reigning Olympic champion, finished fourth with a best of 66.84m.