Irish 6th in 4×400 heats at World Relays, Mulcaire runs 14:08.85 for 5000m

The Irish 4 x 400m quartet finished sixth in the third heat at the World Relay Championships in the Bahamas. Trinidad and Tobago won the heat in a time of 3 mins 02.9 secs, followed by Belgium 3:02.41 and Britain 3:03.28, who have made the final and one of two fastest qualifiers.  Ireland finished sixth  in a season’s best 3:07.11.

Britain led after the first lap  going through in 46.02 secs., with Ireland’s Craig Lynch seventh place in 47.44 secs. By the end of the second leg Trinidad and Tobago had taken over in front, with Belgium moving into second place. At this point, Thomas Barr had moved Ireland into fourth position timed at 1:32.57, but Brian Murphy on the third leg fell back to sixth place on the third leg, with Richard Morrissey then bringing the team home. Bahamas won the first heat in 3:02.18 from Brazil, while USA beat Jamaica in the second clocking 3:02.81; Botswana in third place took the second fastest qualifier slot.

There was a boost of the Irish squad when the women’s 4 x 200m team of Sarah Lavin, Phil Healy, Amy Foster and Steph Creaner set a new Irish record of  1:36.90. Of the eight starters,  the USA and France failed to finish while Bahamas was disqualified leaving the Irish in fifth position. Winners were Nigeria in 1:30.52 with Jamaica second, followed by Germany and China.

On Sunday, the  Irish women finished fifth in the opening heat   of the 4 x 100m in 45.23 secs.  Jamaica won the heat in 42.50 secs and later went on to  win the title in 42.12 secs from the USA and Great Britain.

In the mend 4 x 100m final, the US quartet of Mike Rodgers, Justin Gatlin, Tyson Gay and Ryan Bailey inflicted a morale-boosting defeat on Jamaica, anchored by Usain Bolt. Winning time was 37:38.

The top eight in the 4x400m or 4x100m qualified for both the World Championships in Beijing next August and  Rio ’16.  To qualify for Beijing, the  Irish teams must make top 16 in the world before  the August 9 qualification deadline.

KEVIN MULCAIRE  from Ennis TC ran a time of 14 mins 8.85 secs at the Irish Milers Club 5000m held in Greystones. That’s not too far off John Treacy’s Irish junior record of 14 mins 4.6 secs set  in June 1975 – almost forty years ago. Brandon Hargreaves of DSD  clocked 14:09.52 for second place with Tomas Fitzpatrick of Tallaght third in 14:14.56, ahead of Kilkenny’s Eoin Everard 14:15.16 and MSB’s John Coghlan 14:16.59.  Andrew Coscoran of Star of the Sea, like Mulcaire still competing at schools level, ran 14:23.95 for sixth place.