Nick Griggs: Tyrone man clocks PB of 3:55.73 to take third in Morton Mile

Tyrone 18-year-old Nick Griggs smashed his own Irish Under-20 record as he clocked 3:55.73 to finish third in the mile at the Morton Games in Dublin.

Griggs' time was 0.67 seconds faster than his previous mile personal best set indoors last year.

The Newmills teenager finished 1.25 seconds behind South African victor Ryan Mphahlele who improved his own personal best as he won in 3:54.48.

Australia's Adam Spencer took second spot in 3:55.12.

Griggs' time bettered his previous outdoor best of 3:58.51 set at last year's Morton Games at Santry.

The Tyrone lad's time edged him ever closer to Jim McGuinness' Northern Ireland mile record of 3:55.00 set in Dublin 46 years ago.

The first seven finishers all bettered four minutes in Friday night's race with Ireland's Cathal Doyle fourth in 3:56.05 as Britain's Thomas Keen (3:56.06), American Casey Comber (3:56.33) and Australia's Jack Anstey (3:57.31) also went sub four.

Sarah Lavin continued her impressive summer as she won the women's 100m hurdles in a stadium record of 12.79 seconds which was just 0.06 outside her personal best set earlier this month in Stockholm.

The recent European Games bronze medallist was in a class of her own as she finished 0.31 seconds ahead of Liberia's Tokyo Olympics semi-finalist Ebony Morrison.

Ireland's John Fitzsimons won the men's 800m in 1:46.55 ahead of Dutchman Bram Buigel (1:46.76), Hungary's Balazs Vindics (1:46.96) and Britain's Guy Learmonth (1:47.13).

Sligo athlete Chris O'Donnell clocked a season's best of 45.89 seconds to finish runner-up in the 400m behind Argentina's Elian Larregina, who won in 45.72.

At the European Under-23 Championship in Finland, Irish women's hammer hopeful Nicola Tuthill was just outside the medals as she finished fourth in 66.42m.

The Cork woman's throw - which was 1.42m down on her personal best set at last month's European Games - finished 1.82m behind Germany's bronze medal winner Aileen Kuhn.

Israel Olatunde's somewhat underwhelming season continued as he had to settle for eighth place in the men's 100m final.

This season Olatunde has been unable to get close to the Irish senior record of 10.17 seconds he set when he finished a brilliant sixth at last year's European Senior Championships in Munich.

He clocked a season's best of 10.32 to reach the Friday's final in Espoo but could only manage 10.44 in the decider won by Britain's Jeremiah Azu in 10.05.

Ireland's Jack Raftery also had to settle for eighth in the men's 400m as he clocked 46.00 seconds with the gold going to Norwegian favourite Havard Bentdal Ingvaldsen who won in 45.13.

Longford man Cian McPhillips progressed to Sunday's men's 800m final while Sophie O'Sullivan and especially Sarah Healy will be big medal hopes in the women's 1500m decider on the final day of the championships - providing they avoid mishaps in Saturday's heats.