Relay gold medallist Chris O'Donnell qualifies for 400m semis

European relay gold medallist Chris O'Donnell ran a season's best time of 45.69 to qualify ninth fastest for the semi-finals of the 400m.

The Sligo sprinter, who ran the opening leg of Ireland's historic gold medal mixed relay display on Friday, shaved more than half a second off his best to finish fourth in the morning's heats at the European Athletics Championships.

He ran strongly around the final bend and the closing straight to beat the 46-second mark, brushing elbows with France's Téo Andant in third. Belgium's Jonathan Sacoor came home first in 45.50.

With the 14 fastest runners across the three heats progressing to the semis - regardless of race placing - O'Donnell was assured of his qualification after the second heat when he ranked fifth fastest across the field.

Chris O'Donnell is enjoying quite the 24 hours as he posts a season best of 45.69 to finish fourth in his 400m heat – good enough to reach the semi-final at the European Athletics Championships.

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O'Donnell ultimately wound up the ninth quickest of the 14 qualifiers for Sunday's semis. Italy's Luca Sito finished as the fastest qualifier, easing home in 45.12 in the third heat.

"After last night, such a high and I have to be honest, after very little sleep, I didn't know what to expect coming in here," O'Donnell told David Gillick for RTÉ Sport afterwards. "It was just a case of emptying the tank and seeing what was there.

"To get quite a considerably big season's best, it shows I brought the spirit of last night into this morning. That was what was going through my mind. The history of what we created last night, the buzz.

"We weren't out partying last night. I was lying in bed but I just could not