Bu Will Downing
Irish cyclist Ryan Mullen has finished eighth in the individual men’s time trial at the European Games in Baku.
A blistering display from the 20-year-old Irishman had him placed him in fourth at one stage, just outside the medals.
The Irish road and time trial champion had been 22 seconds behind third-placed Gatis Smulkis of Lativa after finishing his stint over the 52km course at Bilgah Beach.
A solid start had him in eighth place after the opening sector, but rapidly improved.
Both men would drop down the rankings after the later arrivals, with long-time leader Luis Sanchez of Spain dropping out of top spot to the bronze medal position, as Vasil Kiryienka of Belarus took gold, thanks to the only sub-hour performance.
Completing the course in 59 minutes 36 seconds, Kiryienka finished over a minute clear of Dutch silver-medallist Stef Clement, with Sanchez third.
Mullen, clocking 1:02:17, was just 69 seconds away from the medals.
Earlier, Caroline Ryan finished 15th in the women’s equivalent, with gold going to the Netherlands’ Ellen van Dijk of the Netherlands, three minutes ahead of the Irishwoman.
Raced over 26km at Bilgah Beach, Ryan recorded a time of 35 minutes 29 seconds, with van Dijk enjoying a 37-second margin over Ganna Solovei of Ukraine in second.
Annemiek van Vleuten completed a gold-bronze double for the Dutch.
Sean McComb is through to the televised stages of the lightweight boxing after a unanimous points over Tymur Beliak of Ukraine at the Crystal Hall.
Chloe Aboud was beaten 14-6 by Swede Elin Johansson in the preliminary round of the women’s 67kg taekwondo, while Alexander Dolly lost 4-0 in the 86kg freestyle wrestling to Taimuraz Friev Naskidaeva of Spain.
The last Irish competitor in Day Six action is comeback king Kieran Behan, who is in the men’s gymnastics All-Around Final, which commenced at lunchtime Irish time.