Irish sprinter Leon Reid has qualified for the men’s 200m final at the European Championships in Berlin after clocking a time of 20.38 seconds in Wednesday’s semi-final.
Reid was cleared to race for Ireland last week after his transfer of allegiance from Britain to Ireland was approved by the IAAF.
The 24-year-old, originally from Bath, won a National sprint double over 100m-200m in Santry, Dublin, last month and he qualifies for Ireland through his Belfast born mother after previously representing Great Britain at junior and under-23 level.
No Irish sprinter has ever won a medal at the European Championships but Reid will have a chance to end that drought alongside Thomas Barr who qualified for the final of the 400m men’s hurdles with a time of 49.10 seconds on Tuesday.
Look back as Leon Reid went through to the final of the men's 200m at the European Championships. The Menapians athlete automatically qualified, finishing second in his semi-final in 20.38secs. pic.twitter.com/sTjZWxejF7
— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) August 8, 2018
We have our second (!) Irish track finalist in Berlin in the 200m and his name is Leon Reid @DervalORourke 😉
— Ian O'Riordan (@ianoriordan) August 8, 2018
Leon Reid looked super. Excellent to see him going through to the 200m final.
— Derval O'Rourke (@DervalORourke) August 8, 2018
In the 84 years of the European Championships, no Irish male sprinter has ever won a medal. Tomorrow night they now have two big chances: Thomas Barr and Leon Reid.
— Cathal Dennehy (@Cathal_Dennehy) August 8, 2018
Spain’s Bruno Hortelano won 200m gold at the 2016 European Athletics Championships with a time of 20.45 seconds which should put Reid in contention if he can replicate his form from Wednesday’s semi-final.
