Liam prepares for Prague as he defends two titles

Tessa van Heerden

Current World Champion, Liam Foley from Meath is off to the European Championships in Prague this June.

Liam is the first Irish athlete to become a double European Champion and now hopes to defend both his titles.

It is fantastic to have Athletics Ireland involved. Elisha Gallagher, a sprinter from Dublin will also be travelling to Prague

Liam Foley, trains with Trim Athletics Club and is a seasoned competitor in road races.

In 2023 Liam tried his hand at middle-distance track events in the European Down Syndrome championships in Padua, Italy.

He returned home as European Champion in 1500m and 800m having set a new European record in 800m.

His success continued in 2024 with wins in the 1500m and 800m evengts at the Trisome Games in Antalya, Turkey earning him the title of World Champion in both events and breaking his own 800m European record in the process. The Trisome Games is the Olympics of Down Syndrome sports competition.

Liam’s participation in international competition has inspired many and has drawn focus to his unique talent and ability.

Spring is bringing longer days and sunny afternoons and that allows Liam to go out on the track more with coach John Rowe and ramp up his preparations for the 8th IAADS European Athletics Championships in Prague.

Liam aims to defend his two titles and has his eye on the IAADS 1500m European record of 6:02:07, currently held by Spanish athlete José Castano Castro. Liam’s current 1500m PB is just one second outside that time.

Athletes from Italy and Poland will be Liam’s biggest competition. Commenting on Liam’s performance at the Trisome Games, Poland’s coach Lukasz Glasek mentioned that they have been studying Liam’s races in preparation for their athlete Kamil Grabowski’s participation. Kamil is the current 400m European record holder.

With all eyes on him, Liam is confident in his abilities and focussed on his running.