The Irish National Senior Athletic Championships are taking place in Santry this evening, with a number of top athletes on show.
Considering the success some of our youth athletes have experienced in recent weeks, hopes were high that we we would see some high quality action this evening. When it came to the men's 400m final, there was certainly no shortage of drama.
It was a well run race, but it would ultimately come down to a battle between Harry Purcell and Christopher O’Donnell. O'Donnell held the lead coming down the home straight, but he began to fade. Purcell was finishing the stronger of the two, and it looked like he would take the gold.
However, just as it looked like he was about to pip O'Donnell at the line, he tried to pull off a bizarre dive. If anything, it only halted his momentum.
'It was like a star jump' - there was drama at the end of the men's 400m final as Harry Purcell jumped over the finishing line. pic.twitter.com/CHSxbqeRkT
— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) July 28, 2019
David Gillick in commentary believed that Purcell would have won the race had he simply run through the line, and it is hard to argue with him. The half-baked dive took away the momentum he had at that point.
Costing him a national title, it's a mistake he will be keen to forget.
