Longford athletes Cian McPhillips, Adeyemi Talabi and Nelvin Appiah competing for Ireland at the European U-23 Athletics Championships

Cian McPhillips, now on a scholarship at UCD, competes in the 800 metres. Adeyemi Talabi is selected to run in the 100 metres while Nelvin Appiah is part of the Irish 4x100m relay squad. Talabi won the silver medal in the Women’s 100m at the recent National U-23 Championships in Tullamore.   

Athletics Ireland has selected a team of 32 athletes to compete at the 2023 European U-23 Championships to be held in Espoo, Finland, starting this Thursday (July 13) and concluding on Sunday (July 16). The selections include 24 individual competitors along with men's 4x100m and 4x400m squads. This is a key championship on the athlete pathway and serves as a final launching pad into full senior championship competition. 

The squad includes Sarah Healy and Sophie O'Sullivan, currently ranked 1st and 2nd in Europe in this age category on the 2023 European performance list.  Both have posted lifetime bests this season with Sarah posting a National U23 record and European Leading 4:01.75 in Ostrava on 27th June.

Sophie is one of several athletes who earned promotion and a divisional title at the recent European Team Championships that are named as part of this squad including individual winners Ruby Millet, and James Ezeonu.  

Ava O'Connor, Oisin Lane, Nicola Tuthill each set new championship records at the National U-23 Championships in Tullamore on Sunday and will be seeking to make an impact in Finland.

Israel Olatunde will compete in the 100m, where he holds the National Senior Record, and will lead a strong 4x100m squad, while Reece Ademola will look to make an impact in the Long Jump.