SOPHIE O’SULLIVAN TOOK more than a second off the Irish U23 record as she set a new personal best at the Palio Citta’ Della Quercia meet in Rovereto, Italy on Wednesday evening.
O’Sullivan finished second behind Ethiopia’s Wubrist Aschal in a time of 8.44.72, lowering the previous U23 best of 8:46.14 set by Sarah Healy last year.
The 21-year-old’s time is also the third-fastest on the Irish all-time list behind only her mother Sonia, whose national record of 8:21.64 has stood for almost 30 years, and Mary Cullen’s indoor time of 8:43.74 from 2009.
Elsewhere at the meet, Sarah Lavin — who continued her remarkable season earlier this week by setting a new 100m national record on the flat — won the 100m hurdles in 12.76 seconds.
Brian Fay smashed his 3000m PB, lowering his best by almost seven seconds as he ran 7:36.89 to finish second behind Grant Fisher of the United States (7:33.32).
The Dubliner’s time is also good enough for third on the Irish all-time list behind Mark Carroll’s 1999 national record of 7:30.36 and Alistair Cragg’s 7:32.49.
Mark English finished eighth in the men’s 800m (1:46.64), won by Italy’s Catalin Tecuceanu in 1:45.25, while Louise Shanahan also finished eighth in the women’s equivalent (2:01.89), won by Vivian Chebet Kiprotich (1:59.56).
At the Memorial Wieslawa Maniaka meet in Poland, Christopher O’Donnell finished second in the men’s 400m (46.38) behind Great Britain’s Charles Dobson (45.17).
