‘I THINK I’m lucky that I thrive in those situations. That’s kind of why you’re in it,’ says Darragh McElhinney, a man who relishes the big occasion.

His next big test is the men’s 5000m final at the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham on Tuesday night (8.40pm).

The Glengarriff man can’t wait.

‘Obviously the nerves can be fairly dreadful on the day of the race, but when you think about the grand scheme of things, you’re working to qualify for these competitions and then you’re there to perform at your best,’ he explains.

‘There’s a real sense of occasion and you know what’s on the line.

‘Because of the crowds and the event that it is, it’s impossible not to have it feeling a little bit different.’

McElhinney, now 25 years old, feels he can handle the pressure of a European final. He likes racing in a packed stadium and the energy that brings. He has confidence in his own ability, too, to deal with the trappings of a major championship.

Speaking to this paper earlier in the summer, he explained the quest to become a complete athlete so he’s able to react to whatever a race throws up – he pointed to the 5000m heats at the Worlds last year which were completely different.

‘There are just so many possibilities on the day because you’ve 25 of the best runners in Europe there. Anyone can decide to make it hard from the gun or it could jog around for a while. You’re just ready for whatever comes,’ McElhinney explains.

‘But you’re definitely very aware of the gravity of the situation and that all the preparation you’ve put in is really for this day. You race throughout the year, but it’s all about trying to peak for this and be ready for it.’

His recent 5000m triumph at the national championships – his third senior title at this distance, after wins in 2020 and ’22 – was more proof he is developing into an athlete who can react to surprises in a race.

When Jack O’Leary surprised McElhinney by making an early breakaway, the West Cork man had to change his plans. He reacted, caught O’Leary before making his move with a few laps to go. The end result was that McElhinney brought a gold medal back home, and created momentum he can carry to Birmingham.

‘I'm just trying to make sure I show up there in the same shape I'm in now,’ he explains.

‘There are definitely opportunities there. Every year at championships there are always one or two people missing. There are a lot of people who’ve run faster than me going into it, but you don’t know what shape they’re in or what form they’ve been in over the last few weeks.

‘So I'll definitely be going in trying to give it my best shot.

‘I don't know what that looks like, really. On the day, I could run my absolute best and come seventh, or I could be close to a medal. I honestly just don't know.

‘It depends on how I execute the race and what kind of shape my competitors are in.’