Women's relay team finish sixth, Shanahan eighth in 800m final

The Irish women's 4x400 relay team have finished sixth at the European Athletic Championships in Munich.

The team of Sophie Becker, Phil Healy, Rhasidat Adeleke and Sharlene Mawdsley ran a time of 3:26.63, with Netherlands taking gold, Poland second and Team GB third.

Meanwhile, Louise Shanahan rounded off a memorable European Athletics Championships with an eighth-place finish in a testing 800m final in Munich.

The Irish record holder over the distance entered the decider as the fourth-fastest woman in the field this season, but was up against formidable opposition, with favourite Keely Hodgkinson winning in a time of one minute 59.04 seconds. French athlete Renelle Lamote was second, with Poland's Anna Wielgosz claiming bronze.

The Leevale athlete crossed the line in 2:01.64.

Similar to the semi-final, the 25-year-old had Hodgkinson outside her in lane four and made an encouraging start to sit on the shoulders of the pre-race favourite and her Great Britain team-mate Jemma Reekie.

Germany's Christina Hering took to the front to force the pace as Shanahan was placed in fifth at the bell, but from there on in it was a struggle to keep tabs with the leaders as Hodgkinson took control of proceedings, followed by Lamote.

The Cork woman battled to the end in her first senior championships final, improving on her heat and semi-final time and finishing .8 of a second outside her PB.

Louise Shanahan finishes eighth in the 800m final at the European Athletics Championships as Britain's Keely Hodgkinson wins gold in Munich. pic.twitter.com/71odws7pcf

Shanahan said that she had no regrets over her strategy to push hard from the off.

"I wanted to make sure in that first lap I went out hard and put myself in a position where I was competing