60m Hurdles Highlight of Indoor Track and Field Championships
North Down hurdles sensation Ben Reynolds tore up the record book in the Woodie’s DIY Irish Indoor Athletics Championships at the Odyssey.
His new Irish U23 hurdles record earned him the Athlete of the Meeting Award and was the highlight of a vintage day of success for Northern athletes.
The 21 year-old Holywood man had recently set new figures of 7.88 secs in the London Games. In his semi-final yesterday he clipped 0.03 secs off this time but that performance paled relative to his time in the final. In his best ever race he set another NI record of 7.75 secs which is an agonizing 0.1 secs slower than the qualification time needed for the World Championships in Istanbul in 2 weeks’ time. This performance got hi
Ben is still hoping to get the necessary time in Belgium this weekend. A jubilant Reynolds said,
“I was clean and faster over every flight which was good but I felt quite passive and need to square myself more over the hurdles. But it is good to know I am in that shape as I have missed some training in the last few weeks with a niggling injury”.
In the women’s 60 metres City of Lisburn’s Amy Foster proved yet again that she is in a class of her own as Ireland’s top sprinter. In her heat the 23 year-old Bangor woman further confirmed her recent red hot form with a clocking of 7.39 secs which sliced a huge 0.05 secs off her PB. This was merely a warm-up for the final where she led from the gun to secure her first Indoor title in yet another PB of 7.37 secs.
In the men’s sprint, title holder Dean Adams had a blistering start and was in front for most of the race. However, he was caught in the final 20 metres and had to settle for a silver medal behind winner Seye Ogunlewe of Celbridge who recorded 6.79 secs.
In the men’s 1500m there was a clean sweep for Ulster with Daniel Mooney (Letterkenny AC) winning in 3.52.83 from club-mate Ruairi Finnegan, 3:54.84 and Conor Bradley third in 3.55.84. With competitors tightly packed in the opening laps, Mooney made a move with two laps to go to stretch the field with only Bradley and Finnegan able to go with him.
Mooney moved clear of both athletes with 150m to go leaving the battle between European Youth Olympic Gold Medallist Finnegan and Bradley. Finnegan kicked passed Bradley off the final bend to win his first senior medal.
Afterwards the Liverpool student commented;
“Despite my PB (3.45.78) from last week I was not confident of victory as there were good sprint finishers in the field. I therefore decided to make my break well before the last lap.”
Derval O’Rourke (Leevale AC) put in a solid performance running 8.21 in her final and 8.23 in her heat. Speaking after the race the Cork woman said “I am happy to have won, my times are not so great but technically I am getting better, I just need to be more aggressive over the hurdles.” Up and coming star Sarah Lavin (Emerald AC), who won a European Youth Olympic medal during the summer, finished second in 8.46, equalling the Junior Record set by O’Rourke in 1999.
In the men’s 400 metres UU’s Jason Harvey had installed himself as favourite in the final with an impressive 49.31 secs in his heat. Unfortunately Eoin Mulhall of Crusaders was saving something in reserve as he stormed into a lead after the first lap which he never relinquished. Harvey attacked in the final bend but could not overhaul his rival who won in 48.40 secs. Jason had to settle for second in another PB of 48.62 secs.
There were other Northern wins for Ballymena’s Christine McMahon who took her first 400 metres Indoor title in 56.06 secs. Raheny’s Alan Kennedy was victorious in the triple jump with 14.98 metres. He also gained silver in the long jump with 7.06 metres. Sean Breathnach (Galway City Harriers) won the shot with 15.92m from Andrew Doyle (Mid Ulster AC) with 15.02m.
