Sprinter Amy Foster makes semi-finals at European Championships

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

Northern Ireland sprinter Amy Foster has reached Friday's semi-finals of the women's 100m at the European Athletics Championships in Amsterdam.

The 27-year-old Newtownards woman was third in her heat in a time of 11.57 seconds into a slight head wind.

That was outside her own Irish record of 11.40 and the Rio Olympic Games qualifying standard of 11.32.

Should Foster fail to make the final, Friday's race will be her last chance to attain the Olympic qualifying mark.

Northern Ireland's Olympic Games qualifiers Ciara Mageean and Kerry O'Flaherty will not open their Amsterdam challenges until Friday when Christine McMahon and Ben Reynolds will also be in action.

Other Rio-bound Northern Ireland athletes Paul Pollock, Kevin Seaward and Breege Connolly will run in the half-marathon events on Sunday as part of an Irish squad which will also include North Belfast's Glady Ganiel.

Meanwhile Ireland's Marcus Lawler has qualified for the semi-final of the men's 200 metres.