Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Irish Mirror
Irish Mirror
Sport
Vincent Whelan

Israel Olatunde's brilliant interview after breaking Irish 100m record has fans all saying the same thing

Israel Olatunde's performance and subsequent interview after the men's 100m final at the European Championship had everyone feeling proud to be Irish.

Despite still only being 20-years-old, the UCD student ran a remarkably composed race while in the midst of Olympic champion Marcell Jacobs and other seasoned athletes of the highest calibre.

Just like his semi-final, Olatunde finished very strongly to clock a time of 10.17 thereby outpacing Paul Hession's longtime national mark in the discipline.

That was good enough for sixth place and in what was a very tight race, he was just .04 off the bronze medal time.

READ MORE: Thomas Barr through to 400m hurdles semi-finals after winning European Athletics Championships heat

When he realised what time he'd run, he was understandably overcome with emotion as he tore off in celebration with the Irish flag draped around him.

That joyful scene along with his interview with Irish athletics legend David Gillick endeared him to everyone watching back home, some of whom had never seen him compete before.

Social media was awash with praise for him in the immediate aftermath.

Eugene wrote: "Stunning performance Israel. Looking forward to more success in your career. Well done. So proud to see an Irish sprinter do so well."

While Stephen said: "Such a humble and appreciative young man, he’s only going to get better over the next few years - he’s a genuine talent can’t wait to see what he can achieve on the world stage."

Someone else commented: "What a guy, Ireland is super proud."

Tommy agreed with that sentiment: "A wonderful young man with a great future , a great role model and credit to his family."

Keith also said: "What a great personality. A lovely mix of ability, work ethic, confidence and modesty. Well done on running the race of your life."

And a fellow Wee County native wrote: "More great athletic news from Dundalk; what a brilliant ambassador for my hometown."

Lastly, Sean summed it up well: Fair play @IsraelOlatunde5 what an amazing run!! Fair play to you! Making us all proud!"

As he touched on towards the end of his interview, Israel will next compete on Friday morning in the men's 4x100 relay.

READ NEXT:

Get the latest sports headlines straight to your inbox by signing up for free email alerts

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.