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Two Irish athletes, Phil Healy and Marcus Lawler, who are currently in position to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics, struggled to win their national titles on the final day of the Irish National Life Health Championships at Morton Stadium, Santry.
In what was a real indicator of the depth that is ongoing and developing in Irish sprints, Healy and Lawler needed a timed dip down the line to claim their 200-meter gold medals on an afternoon that dropped the backdrop for a nine-session marathon. athletics for two weekends.
These championships were stripped of many sports stars in Ireland, but defied the lack of atmosphere and the tedium of a lengthy program to produce high-quality championship races emphasized by the narrow victories of Lawler and Healy.
Former national hurdles champion Sarah Lavin really put it on Healy in the women’s 200 meter final and with 40 meters less than one stride she separated them before Healy’s tenacious resistance and lunged at the tape led her to victory in 23.57 seconds with Lavin dialing 23.74. .
Lawler’s start in the men’s 200m final was good, but he was still behind 100m gold medalist Stephen Gaffney as he came out of the corner. However, the UCD athlete stopped by clutching his hamstring leaving St Lawrence O’Toole’s man in the lead, but then had to deal with speedy national indoor champion Mark Smyth before claiming victory by just .06 of a second at 20.95.
Another athlete likely bound for the Tokyo Olympics, Leevale steeplechase Michelle Finn, circled the field to win her 3,000-meter specialty event in 9 minutes 59.72 seconds against Aoibhinn McGoldrick (Raheny Shamrock ), who also won the U23 gold. at 11: 25.51 and Emily Grennan (Tullamore Harriers) at 11: 35.30 in third.
The silver and bronze medalists also registered the respective club records.
Rory Chesser won the 3,000-man steeplechase, while Ger O’Donnell and Sarah Quinn claimed the hurdles sprint titles. The men’s and women’s 800m titles went to Harry Purcell and Iseult O’Donnell.
Sarah Quinn (South Mayo de St Colman) won a close battle in the 100 meter hurdles at 13.67 from Lilly-Ann O’Hora (Dooneen), who led to the last hurdle, at 13.73. Molly Scott (SLOT) was third at 14.11. Quinn and Scott went gold and silver in the U23 category.
Micheala Walsh (Swinford) had been quiet at these championships having not competed in any pitching events to date, but she won a competitive senior women’s shot put competition at 14.19m and under-23 gold along with him.
Ciara Sheehy (Emerald) took silver with 13.85m and Casey Mulvey (Inny Vale) took bronze with 13.66m. Kate O’Connor (St Gerard’s Dundalk) was out of the medals with a best of 13.58.
Ebony Hogan won senior and under-23 gold (Birr AC) in the women’s 28lb for distance with 6.84m from Casey Mulvey (Inny Vale) at 6.67m and Zoe Mohan (Cushinstown) at 6.60m .
There were many personal records in the women’s pole vault, which was won by 17-year-old Orla Coffey (Carraig na Bfhear) with a best time of 3.50m.
Una Brice (Leevale) was second with a personal best of 3.50m. Ciara Hickey (Blarney / Inniscara) was third with 3.40m.
Iseult O’Donnell (Raheny Shamrock) completed the women’s races with a powerful final sprint to win the women’s 800 meters in 2: 09.13 from Amy O’Donoghue (Emerald) in 2: 09.99 and Claire Mooney (Naas) in 2: 10.53.
Finn Valley’s brothers John and James Kelly achieved an excellent double in the senior men’s shot put, which also brought in respective senior and under-23 gold medals.
John Kelly had an excellent series and won the senior title with a best time of 18.40m. James Kelly took silver and U-23 gold at 16.48m, while Sean Breathnach (Galway City Harriers) had to settle for bronze at 16.39m.
Breathnach, the good-natured man from Galway, didn’t have to wait too long for another gold medal and the 18th national title when he won the men’s 56-pound distance weight with a best record of 8.24m. Michael Healy (Youghal) was second with 7.55m and John Dwyer (Templemore) third with 7.19m.
Gerard O’Donnell (Carrick on Shannon) won his fifth 110m outdoor hurdles title, and fourth in a row, with a commanding 13.96sec victory.
Nelvin Appiah (Longford) was second in 14.77 with Shane Aston (Trim) third in 14.90.
Rory Chesser (Ennis Track) was another construction of the national titles with his seventh gold in the 3,000m steeplechase in a single 9: 39.62 from his clubmate Mark Hanrahan in second in 10: 04.78 and Joseph Haynes (Armagh) in third at 10: 09.57.
Marcus Lawler (SLOT) won the men’s 200m competitive at 20.95 from Mark Smyth (Raheny Shamrock), who won U23 gold, at 21.01 and 400m champion Chris O’Donnell (North Sligo) in third place at 21.17.
Yuri Kanash (West Waterford) was delighted with his senior pole vault title with a better clearance of 4.50m from Shane Power (St Joseph’s), who won the under-23 title, with 4.40m and Michael Bowler (Enniscorthy ) with 4.40 m.
The winning roar of Harry Purcell (Trim) summed up an exciting and meaningful 148th consecutive national championship in the 800m in 1: 52.49.
It was a brilliant tactical run from the Trim athlete, with rising stars Cian McPhillips (Longford) and Louis O’Loughlin (Donore Harriers) second and third in 1: 52.78 and 1: 53.83 respectively.
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