*Update: we hear the walkers won’t be at Santry while Brian Gregan is running a 400m in Madrid on Saturday. As always, quite who will turn up on the day is unknown…
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| Joanne Cuddihy |
With three weeks to go before the London 2012 opening ceremony, Irish athletes have one last chance to qualify at this weekend’s Woodie’s DIY National Track and Field Championships in Santry.
A number of athletes are just off the qualifying mark. That would include sprinter Jason Smyth aiming to make both Olympics and Paralympics. Smyth’s time of 10.24 seconds for 100m last May puts him .6 of a second off the qualifying mark of 10.18.
Even closer is Steven Colvert who has run 20.57 for 200m – the A qualifying mark is 20.55.
Colvert competes in tonight’s international meet in Liege, Belgium, along with Thomas Barr, another athletes just outside the London 2012 qualifying mark. Barr ran 50.22 for the 400m hurdles at the European Championships last week; he is looking for a time inside 49.50.
Also close is Brian Gregan, who ran 45.63 for 400m in Helsinki, despite a groin problem that hampered him in the final 100m. The London A standard is 45.30. Mark English’s time of 1:45.77 for 800m is another athletes just outside the London 2012 mark, in this case of 1:45.60.
Other athletes run for glory this weekend, with the Olympic qualification safely achieved. Derval O’Rourke goes for a tenth title in the 100m hurdles, as does Robert Heffernan in the 10km walk. Joanne Cuddihy should nail down a fifth 400m title and Paul Hession a sixth 290m title. High jumper Deirdre Ryan should win her ninth title.
Race of the weekend could prove the women’s 800m, with seven athletes under 2 minutes 6 seconds this season. Leading the list is Roseanna Galligan on 2:03.49, followed by Siofra Cleirigh Buttner, who turns 17 later this month, on 2:04.82. Defending champion Siobhan Eviston, along with Ciara Mageean, Claire Tarplee, Laura Crowe and Kelly McNeice are the other five contenders.
In the men’s 5000m, Alistair Cragg, Mark Christie, Breandan O’Neill and Dave Rooney all have medal chances.
In the field events, defending javelin champion Anita Fitzgibbon threw a personal best 47.64 at a Southern League meet in Eton last weekend. London-bound Tori Pena is favourite to retain her pole vault title, but three-times champion Zoe Brown is back in good form. In the men’s pole vault, David Donegan is going for a seventh national title.
Although summer has barely started, online entry is already open for the Rathfarnham 5km on Sunday September 23, with London 2012 marathon runner Caitriona Jennings on hand to help with the launch. Over 1,000 are expected to run, with over €4,000 in prize money on offer. See www.athleticsrathfarnham.ie.
Kilkenny multi event specialist Michael Bowler finished third with a score of 6215 at the Hexham International in England. Celbridge junior Vivian Fleischer put togther a personal best score of 3517 in the senior women’s heptathlon. A week earlier, Riocht’s Ger Cremin was third in the Scottish decathlon championships with a score of 4059 points.
In a busy few weeks for track and field athletics, Brian Gregan in the 400m and Jessie Barr in the 400m hurdles will lead the local entry at the 61th Cork City Sports on Tuesday July 17. Then on Wednesday July 25, up to 150 athletes are expected to turn out for the Morton Pre-Games at Santry.
In addition to the Morton Mile and a women’s mile, men and women’s 100m and 800m races, men’s 400m hurdles and 3,000m, and pole vault and long jump are among the events scheduled. See www.mortongames.ie.
Olympics-bound marathon runner Caitriona Jennings (Rathfarnham WSAF) ran a time of 1:17.13 to finish seventh overall at the Ards Half Marathon last Friday.
Highlight of the Crusaders IMC Meet in Irishtown was the men’s 800m, where Anthony Lieghio narrowly beat Brian Kelly and David McCarthy. In the women’s 100m, Kelly Proper made a winning comeback, beating Catherine McManus and Claire Brady. Kelly McNeice won a competitive women’s 800m, beating current Irish champion Siobhan Eviston and junior Siofra Cleirigh Buttner.
Gary O’Hanlon not only won the Irish Runner 5-Mile in the Phoenix Park, he warmed up by finishing second behind Colin Costello in the St Coca’s 5km the night before. First woman in the park was Siobhan O’Doherty. In Waterford, Brian Murphy of Carrick and Clonmel’s Angela McCann were the winners of the inaugural Viking Marathon.
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