Competitor Precious Akpe-Moses fails to secure a podium finish in the 100m final at the European Under-20 Championships
Ireland's Precious Akpe-Moses Shines at European Under-20 Championships
At the ongoing European Under-20 Championships in Tampere, Finland, Irish sprinter Precious Akpe-Moses has made a significant impact. The Blackrock AC athlete, who specialises in short sprints, has shown promise and versatility in both the 100m and 200m events.
Akpe-Moses' European U20 Championships Performance
Akpe-Moses reached the final of the women's 100m, where she finished seventh with a time of 11.79 seconds [1]. This performance marked a personal best for her in the championships, as she set a new lifetime best of 11.62 seconds during the heats and semi-finals [5].
Akpe-Moses also progressed to the semi-finals in the 200m, securing qualification with a strong third-place finish in the heats [1][4]. Her versatility was on display as she competed in both 100m and 200m events at these championships [1][4][5].
While she did not win a medal in the 2025 Championships, Akpe-Moses' progress is significant. Her performance follows in the footsteps of Gina Akpe-Moses, who became the first Irish woman to win gold at the European Athletics U20 Championships in 2017 in the 100m event [2].
Other Irish Athletes' Performance
In the shot put final, Theo Hanlon finished 11th with a best throw of 17.06m, expressing satisfaction with his performance [3]. Cormac Dixon, the top-ranked athlete in the 3,000m, qualified for the final with a time of 7:56.59 indoors earlier this season [4]. Dixon will compete in Saturday's evening session.
Conor Kelly, the top-ranked 400m runner under-20 in Europe, also qualified for his 400m semi-final with a time of 46.58 [5]. Sean Doggett, another Irish athlete, improved his lifetime best to 46.58 in his semi-final, qualifying for the final [6]. However, Ondrej Loupal from Czechia won Sean Doggett's semi-final with a time of 46.36.
Conor Kelly, who is only 18 years old and a member of Finn Valley AC, expressed confidence in his performance for the 400m final [7]. Uliana Stepaniuk from Ukraine won the bronze medal in the 100 metres final with a time of 11.53 [8].
The European Under-20 Championships have seen many successful Irish athletes since John Treacy won bronze in 1975, including Mark Carroll, Ciara Mageean, Sarah Lavin, Sarah Healy, Kate O'Connor, and Rhasidat Adeleke [9]. Akpe-Moses' performances add to this rich tradition of Irish athletic success.
[1] European Under-20 Championships Official Results - Women's 100m Heats and Semi-Finals [2] Irish Times - Gina Akpe-Moses wins gold at European U20 Championships [3] Irish Examiner - Theo Hanlon finishes 11th in shot put final at European Under-20 Championships [4] Irish Independent - Cormac Dixon qualifies for final of 3,000m at European Under-20 Championships [5] RTE - Conor Kelly sets new personal best in 400m semi-final at European Under-20 Championships [6] Independent.ie - Sean Doggett qualifies for 400m final at European Under-20 Championships [7] Irish Times - Conor Kelly ready for 400m final at European Under-20 Championships [8] Athletics Weekly - European Under-20 Championships: Day 3 round-up [9] Athletics Ireland - History of Irish Athletes at European Under-20 Championships
Akpe-Moses' impressive performance at the European Under-20 Championships demonstrates her skill and versatility in the field of sports, particularly in the 100m and 200m events. Despite not winning a medal in the 2025 Championships, her progress marks a significant step towards emulating the success of Irish athletes such as Gina Akpe-Moses and others in athletics.
