Mark Carroll (Leevale AC) placed 5th in the 5,000m final running a seasonal best 13.42.87. After the race in the mixed zone, Carroll confirmed to reporters what Irish Runner.com reported in late May that he is planning to compete in the New York City marathon on 3rd November.

The Irish men's team comprised of Robert Daly, Paul McKee, Antoine Burke and David McCarthy placed 5th in 4 x 400m relay running 3.04.13. Great Britain won the gold medal in a time of 3.01.25.

Day 5 - Saturday, 10th August

Sonia O'Sullivan (Ballymore Cobh AC) added to her silver collection placing second in 15:14.85. Spain's Marta Dominguez who ran 15.14.76 pipped the 10,000m Silver Medallist at the line. Dominquez won a silver medal herself at the World Championships last summer in Edmonton. She commented on her battle with O'Sullivan down the final straightaway, "The Irish used her elbows a lot, but I was simply stronger." After the race a frustrated O'Sullivan lamented, "I wish I could get out and run that race again. I panicked a bit and it cost me the race. I should have waited a bit longer.

Una English (Dublin City Harriers) placed 15th in 16.19.36 with Maria McCambridge (Dundrum South Dublin) placing 19th in 17.00.15.

4 x 400m Relay Qualifying Round - Right after O'Sullivan's race, there was some splendid news as the men's 4x400m relay team earned a place in Sunday's final in Munich by setting a new national record of 3:03.73 and earning a spot in tomorrow's final.

The team was comprised of Paul McKee (Beechmount AC), Rob Daly (Dundrum South Dublin), Antoine Burke (Dublin City Harriers) and David McCarthy (Celbridge AC).

Day 4 - Thursday, 9th August

200m Semifinals - Ciara Sheehy placed 5th in the first semifinal race running 23.47 (+1.0). The top 4 in each race advanced to the final. Gary Ryan placed 6th in the first semifinal race running 20.98 (-0.5). Coincidently, Ryan ran 20.98 in his second round race as well.

Women's 1,500m 1st Round - Geraldine Hendricken's (St Laurence O'Toole) dream season was interrupted with a nightmarish first round race (Heat 2 of 3) where she ran 4.18.13 and placed 8th. Hendricken was a bit too enthusiastic for the first 200 metres and could never recover. Maria Lynch (Dundrum South Dublin) also placed 8th in her race (Heat 3 of 3) in 4.14.41.

If the men's 5k qualifying round for Mark Carroll is cancelled for Friday night then next up for the Irish is the women's 5,000-metre event with Sonia O'Sullivan, Maria McCambridge and Una English competing on Saturday followed by the men's 400m relay qualifying. O'Sullivan is now the favourite with 10k Champ Paula Radcliffe opting to savour her victory and save her legs for this October's lucrative Chicago Marathon and fast-finishing Gabriela Szabo running only the 1,500m. Szabo (14.46.86) and Radcliffe (14.31.42) have the top two times this season in the 5,000 metres. O'Sullivan's chances increased when the qualifying round was cancelled but she still faces 2001 sensation Russian Olga Yegorova, the reigning world 5000m champion who has been rumoured to be enhancing her performances through creative chemistry.

800m 1st Round - Former Irish athlete (Ballymena & Antrim AC now representing Abbey AC for Great Britain) James McIlroy qualified for the 800 metre semifinals in a heat, which included three-time World Champion and World record holder Wilson Kipketer and reigning World Champion André Bucher. McIlroy ran 1.47.67 advancing as one of the fastest losers after finishing 4th in Heat 3 of 4. He told the BBC, "It was a bit of a shock to the system when I found out what heat I was in. I decided to go on the attack a little bit more like I used to do. I ran a sensible race. I was maybe a bit more sluggish than I have been lately but I put myself in a good position. Last week [Commonwealth Games] I ran everything from the back so today I decided to go on the attack a little bit more like I used to do." The semifinal is set for Saturday afternoon.

Day 3 - Thursday, 8th August

200m 2nd Round - Gary Ryan (Nenagh Olympic) placed 5th in his 2nd Round race (Heat 3 of 3) running 20.98 (-0.3). Ryan had qualified for the second round by running 20.93 (+0.8) placing 6th in Heat 4.

200m 1st Round - Paul Brizzel (Ballymena & Antrim) ran a solo 200m race after he was nearly hit by an overhanging camera while running his 1st Round race (Heat 3) where he ran 21.32. In his second, 1st Round race Brizzel ran 21.19 and missed qualifying for Round 2. Brizzel commented, "I am lucky I did not end up with stitches in my head!" Paul Hession (Athenry AC) placed 7th in Heat 5 running 21.28 and did not advance.

Ciara Sheehy (Dublin City Harriers) placed 3rd in the first of four opening round races running 23.25 (-1.1) advancing to Round 2. Sarah Reilly (Birchfield Harriers) placed 6th in Heat 3 in 24.03 (0.0) and failed to advance.

100m Hurdles - Derval O'Rourke (University College Dublin) placed 5th in her 1st Round running 13.41 (+0.3) with the top 2 in each heat and the next 6 fastest losers advancing. O'Rourke had the 19th fastest time and did not advance.

Day 2 - Wednesday, 7th August

Women's 20k Walk Final - Gillian O'Sullivan broke set personal record by more than 25 seconds and narrowly missed out on a medal in the 20km walk. The Farranfore Maine Valley AC athlete covered the distance in 1.28.46. Olive Loughnane (Loughrea AC) was 13th in 1:33.08.

Women's Hammer - Eileen O'Keeffe (Kilkenny City Harriers) threw 59.64m in the qualifying round and did not advance to the final.

Men's 10,000m Final - Séamus Power (Kilmurray/Ibrikane AC) placed 16th in 29.43.65.

400m - Paul McKee finished fifth in his semifinal in a time of 45.92 narrowly missing the final. Karen Shinkins, a bronze medallist the European indoor meet, failed to qualify for tomorrow's 400m final after finishing fourth in her heat in 52.50.

Javelin Qualifying, Terry McHugh, Dublin City Harriers failed to get a mark in the competition.

Day 1 - Tuesday, 6th August

Men's 20k Walk Final - Robert Heffernan (Togher AC) placed 8th in 1.21.10 with Spain's Francisco Fernandez mining the first gold of the European Championships. Fernandez opened up a 14 second lead at the 5k mark (19.50) with Heffernan in the chase group (20.04). At the halfway mark, the Spaniard led by 1.25 crossing the 10k mark in 38.53. The World Record holder's lead was 1.43 at 15k (58.22) with Heffernan in 4th (1.00.38).

Men's 400m First Round - First 3 in each heat, plus the next 4 fastest times. Paul McKee (Beechmount AC) ran 46.03 to place second in Heat #2 earning one of the three automatic spots.

Women's 10k Final - Paula Radcliffe won setting a new European record of 30.01.09. Sonia O'Sullivan was second and broke her own Irish record by 5.78 seconds running 30.47.59. Marie McMahon Davenport (Marian AC) ran 17th in 32.35.11 for 17th and Anne Keenan Buckley (North Laois AC) was 26th in 33.19.94. Click here for a complete story on the monumental women's 10k race.

The other Irish entrants weren't as fortunate with David McCarthy (Celbridge AC) placing 7th in Heat #1 in 47.30 and Robert Daly (Dundrum South Dublin) placing 5th in Heat #3 in 46.67.

Women's 800m - Late Irish entrant via Queensland, Australia - via Northern Ireland, Adrienne McIvor ran 2.05.01 placing 6th in Heat 3 of 4 and did not advance. It has no doubt been an emotional ride for the 800m-runner that was sent packing from last week's Commonwealth Games.

Men's 1,500m Heats - First 4 in each heat, plus the next 4 fastest times. James Nolan (University College Dublin) was searching for some salvation for his sub-par season marred with injuries, illness and most recently a collision with a bicycle but when looking up to the heavens, all he found was rain. Nolan placed 8th in the first section running 3.48.56.

Men's 100m Qualifying - John McAdorey (Ballymena & Antrim) pulled out due to a wisdom tooth infection.

Thanks to Arran Hussey for this report.

The European Championships began Tuesday, 6th August and run through Sunday, 11th August.

Men's Team
100m, John McAdorey, Ballymena & Antrim
200m, Paul Brizzel, Ballymena & Antrim
200m, Gary Ryan, Nenagh Olympic AC
200m, Paul Hession, Athenry AC
200m Reserve: Paul McKee, Beechmount AC
400m, Paul McKee, Beechmount AC
400m, Rob Daly, Dundrum South Dublin
400m, David McCarthy, Celbridge AC
1500m, James Nolan, University College Dublin
5000m, Mark Carroll, Leevale AC
10000m, Séamus Power, Kilmurray/Ibrikane AC
110m Hurdles, Peter Coghlan, Crusaders AC
Javelin, Terry McHugh, Dublin City Harriers
20k Walk, Robert Heffernan, Togher AC
20k Walk, Jamie Costin, West Waterford AC
50k Walk, Jamie Costin, West Waterford AC
4 x 100m Relay From: McAdorey, Brizzel, Ryan, Hession, Jonathon Carleton (Ballymena & Antrim), Mark Howard (Fingallians AC)
4 x 400m Relay From: McKee, Daly, McCarthy, Antoine Burke (Dublin City Harriers) and Ryan

Women's Team
100m, Ciara Sheehy, Dublin City Harriers
200m, Ciara Sheehy, Dublin City Harriers
200m, Sarah Reilly, Birchfield Harriers
200m, Karen Shinkins, Dublin City Harriers
400m, Karen Shinkins, Dublin City Harriers
800m, Adrienne McIvor, Dublin City Harriers
1500m, Geraldine Hendricken, St Laurence O'Toole
1500m, Maria Lynch, Dundrum South Dublin
5000m, Sonia O'Sullivan, Ballymore Cobh AC
5000m, Maria McCambridge, Dundrum South Dublin
5000m, Una English, Dublin City Harriers
10000m, Sonia O'Sullivan, Ballymore Cobh AC
10000m, Marie Davenport, Marian AC
10000m, Ann Keenan Buckley, North Laois AC
100m Hurdles, Derval O'Rourke, University College Dublin
Hammer, Eileen O'Keeffe, Kilkenny City Harriers
20k Walk, Gillian O'Sullivan, Farranfore Maine Valley AC
20k Walk, Olive Loughnane, Loughrea AC

European Championships