Israel Olatunde has broken Paul Hession’s 100m Irish record on a historic night for Irish athletics at the European Athletics Championships in Munich.

Olatunde produced the performance of his life, in the race of his life, to cross in a stunning 10.17 which broke the record which had stood since 2007.

The record-breaking performance was made all the more impressive in that Olatunde had run a 10.20 semi-final an hour previous, but neither that nor the occasion stopped the new star of Irish sprinting claim the record which he had threatened multiple times in recent months.

The 6th place finish in a European final completes a remarkable rise to the top table of European sprinting for the 20-year-old who is trained by Daniel Kilgallon who leads a group that has also seen European 400m finalist Rhasidat Adeleke rise through its ranks.

Adeleke will compete later today in her first Major Championship Final running from Lane 1 in the women’s 400-metre final at 21:02.

Olatunde will now join the men’s 4x100m team who go in the heats from 9 am on Friday.

There was also a top 10 finish for Raheny’s Brian Fay in the 5,000m final last night. Fay claimed a top 10 finish at last December’s European Cross Country Championships in Dublin, and the University of Washington athlete continued the trend tonight with another fast-finishing 8th place performance.

Commonwealth Games silver medallist Kate O’Connor will begin her busy 2-day schedule in the heptathlon from 9.30 am this morning.

The Irish record holder will start her competition in the 100m hurdles before taking on the high jump, shot put, and 200m. O’Connor will return to the Olympic Stadium in Munich on Thursday for another 3-event schedule, concluding with the 800m at 8.55 pm.

Thomas Barr will look to channel memories of his ‘Wunderbarr’ performance in 2018 which saw him claim a European bronze medal on German soil.

The Ferrybank star has banked a valuable block of training since the World Championships in Oregon last month and will fear no one should he make it to yet another major final. Barr is the top-ranked athlete in heat 2 of the 400m hurdles which is set for 10.12 am (Irish time) this morning.

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