MARK ENGLISH AND Thomas Barr both claimed gold on their respective return from injury at the the GloHealth National Senior Track and Field Championships in Morton Stadium today..
Barr (Clonliffe Harriers) has been battling back to fitness and made his season debut in the heats on Saturday running 52.03 and improved considerably in the final to win his sixth national title.
“All I need is races,” said Barr who confirmed he will run in the European Athletics Championships from 6-10 July, the full team for which will be announced tomorrow.
“I improved two seconds from the heats to the final and I hope I can keep going that way.”
Jason Harvey (Crusaders) finished strongly for silver in 51.30 with Ben Kiely (Ferrybank) nabbing the bronze in 51.47.
Also returning from injury, Mark English (UCD) bagged his fourth national 800m title in 1:51.48 but will skip the Europeans to work on his fitness for the Olympics. The championships for the Donegal man were a similar scenario to Barr’s.
“I’m happy with that and now I’ll get working towards Rio,” said English.
Declan Murray (Clonliffe Harriers) was second in 1:51.70 with Karl Griffin (UCD) third in 1:51.83.
Siofra Cleirigh Buttner (DSD) dominated the women’s 800m passing through 400m in 58 seconds to win in 2:04.72 ahead of Louise Shanahan (Leevale) second in 2:10.02 with Alanna Lally (UCD) third in 2:10.28.
The men’s and women’s 400m races brought the championships to a crescendo. Brian Gregan proved his mettle winning the men’s race in a big season’s best of 46.28 in the final meters.
Craig Lynch (Shercock) ran a big personal best in second with 46.40 just holding off a fast finishing David Gillick (DSD) who ran 46.44.
The first four men ran a European B standard – Richard Morrissey (Crusaders) ran 46.68 – while six men ran 46 seconds.
Sinead Denny (DSD) showed her battling qualities to win the women’s event in 53.64 to hold off Phil Healy (Bandon) in 53.78. Ciara McCallion (Clonliffe Harriers) was third in 54.48.
Jason Smyth (Derry City) and Amy Foster were the fastest over 100m running 10.71 and 11.83 respectively.
Ben Reynolds (North Down) went into the championships in search of a European B qualifier of 13.90 in the 110m Hurdles and he duly delivered winning in 13.89.
Sean Breathnach (Galway City Harriers) bagged three gold medals and one silver in the throws. He won the shot put with 17.34m, the 56lbs weight for height with 4.40m, the 56lbs weight for distance with 7.87m, and silver in the discus with 51.18m. Marco Pons (DMP) won the discus with 53.22m.
Clare Fitzgerald (Tralee Harriers) won double gold in the women’s discus and shot put – she hurled the discus 53.38m and sent the shot out to 15.07m.
Sommer Lecky won the high jump at the Tailteann Games on Saturday and returned to win the senior high jump on Sunday with 1.71m. Jaime Murtagh (Cushinstown) caused a surprise in the men’s high jump winning in 2.10m ahead of Barry Pender (St Abban’s) second with 2.05.
Michelle Finn (Leevale) impressed in the women’s 3,000m steeplechase to win in 9:46.81 with Kerry O’Flaherty (Newcastle) having to settle for second in 9:58.81 – both are bound for Rio in the chase.
John Travers (Donore Harriers) and Ciara Mageean (UCD) won their respective 1500m in tactical fashion. Travers sprinted to victory in 4:01.19 to hold off Eoin Everard (Kilkenny City Harriers) in 4:01.32.
In the women’s race Mageean bided her time before winning comfortably in 4:24.33 to beat last year’s champion Sara Treacy (Dunboyne) who was second in 4:26.10. The Portaferry woman will now go on to the European Championships.
Alex Wright (Leevale) won the men’s 10,000m race walk in 41:11.7.
The importance of winning a national championship was highlighted most by Conor Duffy (Glaslough Harriers) and Lily-Ann O’Hora (Dooneen) who jubilantly celebrated after winning the men’s 5,000m in 14:32.85 and the 100m hurdles in 14.36.
Information provided by Athletics Ireland.
