Amy Foster achieves European Championship 100m standard in Florida

Amy Foster set her personal best of 11.40 two years ago in Florida

Amy Foster achieved the European Championships 100m qualifying time as she clocked 11.50 seconds at her season opener in Florida on Friday night.

Foster's time exactly matched the Amsterdam standard as she was 0.10 seconds outside her personal best.

The 27-year-old's main target for the season is to achieve the Olympic 100m standard of 11.32 seconds.

Jason Smyth was scheduled to run at the Gainesville meeting but pulled out because of a "niggle".

"I felt it at the start of the week," Smyth, 28, told BBC Sport Northern Ireland.

"I probably could have run but I decided there was no point trying to force anything this early in the season."

Four-time Paralympics gold medallist Smyth still plans to run at Clermont in Florida next week as he chases the Olympic 100m qualifying standard of 10.16 seconds.

County Londonderry athlete Smyth missed out on qualifying for the 100m at the London Olympics by 0.04 seconds after clocking 10.22 in 2011, which remains his personal best.

Smyth will compete in a number of other meetings in Florida over the next month.

Foster, meanwhile, described Friday's run as a "rusty old race but at least the Euro qualification box is ticked".

Her Irish team-mate Brian Gregan struggled on his 400m season opener at the same Gainesville meeting as he clocked 47.30.

Gregan, who set his personal best of 45.53 in 2013, will need to clock 45.40 to book a Rio berth.

Another Irishman Timmy Crowe clocked 48.17 in his 400m race at the same meeting with Sinead Denny producing an outdoor personal best of 53.86 in the women's 400m.