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

Longford athletes Cian McPhillips, Adeyemi Talabi and Nelvin Appiah have all been selected to compete for Ireland in the 2023 European U-23 Championships in a tremendous boost for the progressive local athletics club.

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 National U-23 Championships in Tullamore on Sunday.  

Athletics Ireland has selected a team of 32 athletes to compete at the 2023 European U23 Championships to be held in Espoo, Finland, from 13th to 16th July.  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.