Cork's Louise Shanahan and Phil Healy shine at European Championships

CORK duo Phil Healy and Louise Shanahan were in top form at the European Championships on Friday to qualify for major finals.

Healy helped the Irish women's 4x400m team, along with Sophie Becker, Rhasidat Adeleke and Sharlene Mawdsley, to set a national record of 3:26.06 as they came second in the semi-final in Munich.

The Ballineen Bullett didn't fire in the 400m this week but ran a strong second leg, handing the baton to Adeleke with Ireland in third.

Shanahan excelled in her 800m semi-final to secure a spot in a European Championships final for the first time.

The 25-year-old grabbed one of three automatic qualifying spots in a time of 2:01.15, the second fastest of her career.

She had impressed in Thursday's heat too and told the Irish Examiner: “It felt like groundhog day when the alarm went off, get up and do it all again. The race was almost identical but I felt so much better. I wasn’t sure if I got the big Q, and to see it next to my name and be in a European final is a dream come true.

The plan was to race it like a final. I went hard for the first 200, got a good position, and the aim was to then run as tight a line as possible and settle in. 

"I wanted to shut off until 600 and then wake up. With 120 to go I was boxed in and I knew Keely would move forward. I was surprised there weren’t more athletes pouring around the outside. I’m delighted I managed to pull that off.”

The Leevale ace, who is studying for a PhD in Quantum Physics at Cambridge University,is in bonus territory from here.

“I ran the heat as if it was a final and I ran this as if it was bonus territory, I was surprised by how much my legs had. I’m absolutely delighted. I knew I could make the final. There was plenty of room for upsets, happy out.”