Kelly McGrory added to 400m hurdles for European Championships

Kelly McGrory will compete in the women's 400m hurdles at the European Athletics Championships in Rome.

The Tir Chonaill woman has been named in the Irish women's 4x400m relay squad and will now also go in the 400m hurdles.

The Laghey native was a late confirmation for the 400m hurdles this week by European Athletics with the Championships set to get underway on Friday – when Finn Valley AC's Mark English takes to the 800m heats.

McGrory has been in fine fettle of late and will line up at the Olympic Stadium on Sunday morning with the 4x400m relay underway on Tuesday.

McGrory has twice broken the Donegal 400m record in the last month.

McGrory clocked 52.62 seconds at the IFAM Outdoor meet in Brussels having gone 53.76 seconds in Italy.

Multiple national record holder, Rhasidat Adeleke (Tallaght AC), will spearhead a strong looking Irish challenge in the women’s 400m alongside the in-form pair Sharlene Mawdsley (Newport AC) and Sophie Becker (Raheny Shamrock), with all three also selected in exciting 400m relays squads.

McGrory, Phil Healy and Lauren Cadden are also part of the six-woman squad.

Last year at the World Championships, McGrory joined Sophie Becker, Roisin Harrison and Sharlene Mawdsley to finish eighth in 3:27.08 at the National Athletics Centre in Budapest.

McGrory also has the Donegal record, 57.22 seconds, in the 400m hurdles.

Four-time European medallist English also goes to the Eternal City in excellent form.

Last week, English finished fourth in a season’s best 800m at the Bislett Games, a Diamond League meeting in Norway. There, he crossed the line in 1:44.95 – just 0.24 of a second off his Irish 800m record, clocked in Spain in June, 2021.

Injury has prevented Finn Valley AC duo Brendan Boyce and Roisin Flanagan taking their places in the race walk and 5000m.