Becker misses out on a place in 400m final at European Athletics Championships
Sophie Becker missed out on a place in the final of the women's 400 metres at the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham.
She was eighth in her semi-final in a time of 52.47 seconds, over a second outside her personal best.
Marcus Lawler and Sean Aigboboh have both qualified for the men's 200-metre semi-finals.
They are among a number of Irish athletes racing tonight, including Rhasidat Adeleke, who is in the lineup for the women's 200-metre final at 9:50pm.
Mark English will run in the men's 800-metre final, just before 9:30pm.
Britain's Olympic champion Keely Hodgkinson eased into the women's 800 metres final, while rival Audrey Werro secured her place in the medal race after a successful appeal âfollowing a dramatic fall.
Swiss runner Werro, who clocked the fastest women's 800m time in 43 years earlier this season, was leading the opening semi-final when she âtook a heavy tumble on the final bend.
The 22-year-old got back to her feet â and finished last, clutching her chest, but officials later reinstated her after âreviewing footage that showed France's Anais Bourgoin made contact with Werro's right foot before the fall.
There was â no such drama in âthe second semi as Britain's Hodgkinson âled from the gun and crossed the line first in one minute 57.38 seconds to qualify âcomfortably for Friday's final.
The Briton held off Femke Broeders-Bol, the twice â world champion over 400 â metre hurdles âwho has switched her focus to the 800m this season.
The women's 800m has emerged as one of the most anticipated events of the championships, with Hodgkinson, Werro and Dutchwoman Broeders-Bol expected to battle â for gold.
"The excitement makes me excited. I can't wait to step out there," Hodgkinson said. "It brings out the best in me."
Werro rocked the athletics world when she clocked 1:43.80 at the Paris âDiamond League on June 28, the closest time âto the long-standing world record of 1:53.28 by Czech Jarmila Kratochvilova in 1983.
