IRELAND’S PHIL HEALY got her 2019 season off to the perfect start on Saturday afternoon in Austria, as the 24-year-old secured a win in the 400m event at the Vienna International Indoor Meet.
She finished ahead of the Netherlands’ Lissane De Whitte, a European bronze medalist last year, and Great Britain’s Eilidh Doyle, with a time of 52.31 seconds for her fastest time so far this year.
The Cork sprinter enjoyed an immensely successful 2018, winning the same event this time last year before beating Natasha Hastings, a double Olympic Gold Medallist, in Karlsruhe a week later.
Phil Healy wins Vienna Indoor 400 in 52.31 secs leaving current European outdoor Bronze medallist Lisanne De Witte (52.66) & current World Indoor Bronze Eilidh Doyle (53.08) well behind her. Early in the season but she’s fastest in EUROPE and second fastest in the world in 2019.
— Greg Allen (@gregallenRTE) January 26, 2019
In June she successfully broke the Irish 100m record with a time of 11.28 seconds in Santry. She would go on to lower her personal best time for the 400m in Geneva, before breaking the 23-second barrier to set a new national record in the 200m just a month later.
Healy is the first athlete in 40 years to hold both the 100m and 200m records in Ireland at the same time. She would also go on to represent Ireland at the European Athletics Championships in Berlin back in August.
Saturday’s result — which is the fastest time in Europe so far this year — sets 2019 up nicely, with Healy setting her sights on next month’s European Indoor Athletics Championships, which are being held in Glasgow.
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