Team Ireland won three bronze medals at the European Olympic Festival (EYOF) in Skopje on Friday.
Athletes Ellis McHugh and Joe Burke both claimed bronze medals before gymnast Chester Enriquez won Ireland’s third medal of the day in the Boys’ Floor exercise.
Competing in the Girls’ 400m hurdles, Eilis McHugh came home in third place in this morning’s final, with a time of 59.25. Half an hour later, Joe Burke set a personal best time of 21.22, a new Irish record, to win bronze in the Boys’ 200m.
A bonus making the final
Reacting to her medal, McHugh described her race, saying:
“I actually think I wasn’t as nervous as I thought I would be initially coming out. I was thinking of everybody that ran before. I’m glad I even got here. It’s a bonus to be in the final, so I thought just don’t be nervous. Go out, do what I can. And I did that. I tried to do that anyway.
“I went out in my heat and I had a different kind of stride patterning, I’m assuming because of the adrenaline and the heat. It worked, but it worked out fine. So I was happy enough. So I kind of just hoped I could execute that again today, which I did. So it was fine. But it is completely about finding stride patterns in between the hurdles. It’s not like sprinting whatever works. It’s like getting the right hurdle, knowing when you’re going to hit it. But yeah, thankfully worked out.”
Bronze for Burke
Tipperary sprinter Joe Burke is no stranger to the podium, having won a bronze medal at last year’s European U18 Championships in this event, in a similar race. Reacting to his medal winning race, he said:
“Yeah, I don’t know what to say Joe. It’s the same situation as last year. Blanket finish across the line. Waiting I waiting. And then just hearing your name for third is just surreal. It’s a feeling you can’t explain or describe to anyone. It means so much to you as a person that you just can’t express.”
First Irish gymnastics medal at EYOF
Chester Enriquez won the third Irish medal of the day, with a phenomenal bronze medal in the Boys’ Floor exercise.
Going into the competition, the Origin Gymnastics athlete was ranked 7th, and his clean routine saw him score 13.566, pushing him into the bronze medal position.
The gymnastics events are taking place in Osijek in Croatia, and speaking after receiving his medal, the 17-year-old reacted to winning Ireland’s first ever gymnastics medal at the EYOF:
“Today was an amazing experience, to say the least. Going out and doing what I’ve done is history in the making. It was just an amazing experience in general. The atmosphere was amazing.”
LiveScores Now Available at IrishScores.com
LiveScores Now Available at IrishScores.com
