Special to Irish Runner.com by Dave Reid Outstanding performances from Gillian O'Sullivan, Sonia O'Sullivan, Paul McKee, Mark Carroll and Terry McHugh were the highlights at a very successful AAI National Track and Field Championships. Olympic 10th placer Gillian O'Sullivan gave further notice of her climb towards the very top echelons of women's walking with a truly inspirational performance to smash Australian Kerry Saxby-Junna's 1996 World Record with a 20.02.60 clocking. |
"I cannot believe that this is happening to me," said the Lissivigeen, Killarney native shortly after her heroic effort, which ensures that she becomes only the second Irish woman to hold a world track record since the inception of the IAAF. (Sonia O'Sullivan is the other having set a world 2000m mark in Edinburgh in 1994.) Gillian is firmly on course for a top 6 placing in Munich, indeed a medal is now a possibility. |
Gillian O'Sullivan  |
Another O'Sullivan also performed with great distinction at Santry with Sonia performing a unique 800m and 5000m double. Securing the 800m with 2.04.91 from Kelly McNiece before romping to a comprehensive 5000m victory in 15.20.11 (championship record) from Una English and the peerless Anne Keenan-Buckley in 3rd place. Judging from these performances and the outstanding fact that there were only 21 minutes between the end of the 800m and the beginning of the 5000m a medal or too is on the cards for Munich. Paul McKee smashed his newly minted Irish 400m record stopping the clock at 45.58. "It was great to break the record but to do so in front of the Irish supporters and in front of my family is just the most fantastic thing for me" summarised the Beechmount clubman. In his current form reaching both the Commonwealth and European Final is a realistic possibility for McKee. AAA Indoor champion Robert Daly finished 2nd in 46.76 with one of the stories of these championships being former world Junior High jump silver medallist Antoine Burke smashing his PB with 46.88 to claim 3rd place and a spot in the 4x 400 relay team for the European championships. |
Mark Carroll bounced back from a recent spell of below par performances with clear-cut wins in the 5000m and 1500. Taking the 5000m in 13.48.68 Carroll returned two hours later to snatch the 1500m from young pretender Tomas Frazer with US based Aidan Walsh breaking his PB with 3.47.23 to take 3rd place. "I needed that, " stated Carroll who still seeks the qualifying time of 13.32 for Munich. |
Mark Carroll  |
Terry McHugh set a world record by winning his nineteenth successive National javelin title. The odds are beginning to shorten in relation to Terry winning his 21st successive National title and reaching his fifth successive Summer Olympics in 2004. Olympian Gary Ryan returned to his best with victory in the 100m and silver in the 200 behind Paul Brizzell who clocked 20.59 to secure the gold medal. Ciara Sheehy stormed to two titles over the weekend with victory in both he 100m and 200m the latter in a new championship record of 23.02. European indoor bronze medallist Karen Shinkins indicated that she is in form to at least reach the final in Munich with a comprehensive 400m win in 52.34. |
David Kelly surprised quite a few with his 800m win on Sunday but the 20 year old DSD man has been making quite a habit of winning National titles in recent years snatching victory from Conor Sweeney in the final strides to add the senior title to the U.23 crown he won recently and the Senior 1500m title won in the Spring. Here is an athlete who has benefited from competing in The Irish Milers Club races and he has the ability to run 1.47 this season given the right opportunities. |
(l to r) Conor Sweeney,  |
Terry McHugh set a world record by winning his nineteenth successive National javelin title. The odds are beginning to shorten in relation to Terry winning his 21st successive National title and reaching his fifth successive Summer Olympics in 2004. Olympian Gary Ryan returned to his best with victory in the 100m and silver in the 200 behind Paul Brizzell who clocked 20.59 to secure the gold medal. Ciara Sheehy stormed to two titles over the weekend with victory in both he 100m and 200m the latter in a new championship record of 23.02. European indoor bronze medallist Karen Shinkins indicated that she is in form to at least reach the final in Munich with a comprehensive 400m win in 52.34. The only disappointing feature was the lack of promotion of these championships by AAI. The almost total disappearance of athletics coverage within the Irish daily papers is very worrying especially considering that this is a European championship year (when a number of Irish athletes have realistic chances of reaching a major championship final). Irish athletics and our star performers are turning into the best-kept sporting secret in this country. |