FROM LONG-DISTANCE glory, to sprint success, it has been a remarkable couple of weeks for Irish athletics, and 17-year-old Sommer Lecky further underlined the burgeoning talent within this next wave as she cruised through to the World U20 Championships high jump final.
Lecky successfully cleared the bar in all six of her attempts in this morning’s semi-final, sailing through qualification with a 1.84 metre clearance and a performance which augers well for Sunday’s final.
The Finn Valley AC star, who represented Northern Ireland at the Commonwealth Games last April, feels there is still plenty more for her to give at this championships.
“It was tough as it was warm but job is done now, so final here we come,” Lecky said.
“I was nervous but it was good nerves, I could control them. I felt really relaxed once I got out onto the track.
“Everything felt really good, the track out here is really bouncy so we’ll see what happens in the final. Anything can happen when you’re there.”
Lecky becomes the second member of the Irish team to qualify for a World final at this meet after Gina Akpe-Moses finished eighth in last night’s 100 metres final at the Ratina Stadium in Tampere.
There was further success, too, for Limerick’s Ciara Neville on the track this morning as she stormed through to the semi-finals of the 200 metres with a time of 24.01 in her heat.
In the semi-final, the 18-year-old looked tired as she crossed in 24.68 to finish eighth.
Earlier, Molly Scott finished third in her 100 metres hurdles heat to ease through to the semi-finals of that event in a time of 13.95.
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