Watch: European Under-18 Athletic Championships silver for Fintan Dewhirst
The Tír Chonaill AC member and student at St Columba’s Comprehensive School Glenties shaved almost a second off his PB to claim a silver medal in the top-class field at the Jerusalem’s Hebrew University Stadium
Fintan Dewhirst ran the race of his life to secure a silver medal for Ireland in the 400m Hurdles final at the European Under-18 Athletic Championships.
A member of Tír Chonaill AC and student at St Columba’s Comprehensive School Glenties, Dewhirst ran a PB of 61.65 seconds to come home in second place behind race winner, Norway's Elnan Aurstad, who ran 50.89, at Israel's Jerusalem’s Hebrew University Stadium. Hungarian Gergő Takács was third with 51.77.
On Tuesday, 16-year-old Dewhirst, who is coached by Brian McGonagle, was second-fastest of the 16 first round qualifiers, when he came home in his best time to date of 52.58 seconds behind Finland’s Antti Sainio in 52.24 seconds to seal a semi-final place.
There, on Wednesday, a time of 52.62 seconds was enough to progress as one of the two fastest losers, having come in fourth place in the race itself.