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22nd
May 2011
JASON SCORCHES TO NEW NI 100m RECORD IN SUNNY FLORIDA
Local athletes saw action on two continents
over the weekend, Florida, Gothenburg and Antrim were the
venues and the big story was Jason Smyth scorching to a new
NI 100 mertres record of 10.22secs at the NTC Classic in sunny
Florida, beating his own previous figures of 10.32secs set
last June at the NI championships in Antrim. Gregory Roberts
meantime was in Sweden for the Gothenburg Half Marathon where
he ran 68m 12secs for 24th place in a race dominated by African
athletes, Albert Kiplegat winning in a world class 60m 52secs.
Finally Antrim hosted the Ulster Schools Track/Field championships
and Derry athletes were prominent on the medals podium with
the double golds from Thornhills Anna Barr and Lumen Christis
Jack McCloskey the stand out performances.
However the ongoing success story of local
sprint sensation Eglintons Jason Smyth,grabs all the headlines
and his new NI 100 metres record in only his second competitive
outing after a ten month injury induced absence, shows he
is back with a bang and on course for the National record
and a place at this years World championships and beyond that
the Olympics in 2012.
He is of course the 100m/200m Paralympic world record holder
and represented Ireland at last years European championships
where he made the 100m semi final.He was the first Paralympian
to make a mainstream European championship appearance and
his latest 10.22s Florida clocking sets up a serious crack
at Paul Hessians 10.18s Irish 100m record.It also is a B standard
for the 2012 Olympics and this years World championships in
Korea. His immediate plans include another Florida outing
this weekend and a posssible major New York appearance,according
to his delighted coach Stephen Maguire.
Strabane man Maguire is based with hs protogee in Orlando
and was absolutely delighted with the 10.22s run which was
achieved as Jason chased home two of his training group, Jamacian
Steve Mullings and American Travis Parfit who posted super
fast 9.89s and 9.99s respectively in the balmy Florida conditions
and significantly with a legal following wind. The painstaking
ten month rehabilitation process since last summer has paid
dividends for the Eglinto Flyer and both he and his coach
are quite rightly hopeful of another major break through this
summer.
Hopefully Jason will be back in Antrim in mid June for the
NI championships. He would certainly bring a real touch of
class and with a bit of luck, maybe even some welcome hot,
sunny weather in which to strut his burning sprint speed.
Schools Success
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In direct contrast to the warmth of Florida, Antrim was a
bleak wet and windswept venue for last Friday and Saturdays
Ulster Schools championships but the local athletes in action
nevertheless impressed with some terrific performances and
came home with at least 22 individual Ulster medals plus Team
Sprint Relay gold from the Thornhill Intermediate Girls quartet.
Thornhills Anna Barr anchored that winning quartet and also
struck 300m and Triple Jump gold. Lumen Christi junior Jack
McCloskey also claimed double gold taking boh the100m and
200m titles. This duo were the loca stand outs on a miserable
Antrim track and no doubt will be praying for better conditions
at next months All Irelands in Tullamore!
Mark McGarvey of St Josephs won the Intermediate Boys Long
Jump convincingly,lost out narrowly in the 100m Hurdles but
will travel to Tullamore with confidence nevertheless. Other
gold medallists included Ciara Armstrong of St Cecelias in
the Inter Girls 300m Hurdles;Lumens High Jumper Claire Dougherty;St
Columbs pair Shane McGowan in the Junior 800m and Andrew Bolster
in the Senior 400m Hurdles and another Thornhill athlete Roisin
Laverty who hit form to win the Inter Girls Long Jump.
For the record the winning Thornhill Inter Girls sprint relay
team members were Lisa Dobbins, Megan Devine, Roisin Laverty
and anchor ,Anna Barr!
Greg In Gothenburgh
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Greg Roberts was in Gothenburg as part of a trio from the
National Endurance Squad,to run the prestigious local Half
Marathon which featured a large contingent of talented African
distance runners. Not surprisingly they dominated the event
with Kenyan Albert Kiplegat clocking a brilliant 60m 52s to
lead home the classy field. The top 20 finishers were all
under 66mins and the first of the Irish was Sean Hehir with
66m 35s in 22nd spot.
Hehir, Roberts and Bay Rd winner Paddy Hamilton ran together
for the first 10K before losing contact by the 15K mark where
Hehir lead from the Spartan with Hamilton chasing. Hehir held
his form best over the final 6K for his 66m 35s finish.The
Derry man dug in well for 68m 12s, two places behind and Hamilton
faded to 69m 14s for 26th place in the massive and classy
field. The Spartan would have liked to run sub 68m, he has
two clockings under that mark from previous outings but he
will get back into training and continue towards his target
of a quality Autumn half and full marathon where he aims to
significantly lower last years 2hrs 21mins personal best.
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