Irish sprinters Bori Akinola and Israel Olatunde exited the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham at the semi-final stage of the men’s 100m, according to RTÉ Sport. Competing on August 11, 2026, both athletes faced fierce competition in the sprint heats and semi-finals, ultimately falling short of advancing to the medal race.
Bori Akinola Misses Final by Narrow Margin in Birmingham
Bori Akinola secured his spot in the 100m semi-finals by winning his morning heat in a time of 10.39 seconds, according to RTÉ Sport. In the semi-final session, he posted a slightly improved time of 10.38 seconds. That effort placed him fourth in his race, leaving him just 0.06 seconds shy of qualifying for the final.
Reflecting on his performance to RTÉ Sport, Akinola pointed to his late-season conditioning. “I just wish it had come a lot earlier in the season so I could build on that,” he said. Despite the narrow exit, the sprinter recorded what RTÉ Sport noted as his most consistent year of performance.
Israel Olatunde Concludes Injury-Hit Campaign
Israel Olatunde advanced directly to the semi-finals via a bye, lining up in the third semi-final heat. The sprinter put together a decent start before crossing the finish line in seventh place with a time of 10.49 seconds, as reported by RTÉ Sport.
Olatunde expressed pride in reaching the semi-final stage after navigating a difficult season marked by successive injuries. “It has been an interesting year for me with injuries one after the other,” Olatunde told RTÉ Sport. “I want to come out here and compete, do my best and I feel like I did that today.”
Jack Raftery Exits 400m Semi-Finals
Team Ireland’s contingent also saw 400m runner Jack Raftery bow out at the semi-final stage during the same session in Birmingham. The Dubliner posted a time of 45.81 seconds, finishing seventh in his semi-final heat.
Raftery told RTÉ Sport that he executed his race strategy before fading in the home stretch against competitors with fresher legs. “I ran the race exactly how I wanted to, my legs just did not have it in the end,” Raftery said.
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