There were a number of exhilarating performances at the Woodie’s DIY Senior Indoor Championships in the Odyssey Arena this weekend. Olympians Derval O’Rourke and Paul Hession were the star attractions with athletes from across Ireland batting it out for National titles.
Derval O’Rourke opened up her indoor season in fine style by winning the Women’s 60m hurdles in 8.19 seconds taking her tenth national title. This is a very solid open to her season having run 8.29 seconds in the heats. The Cork women’s focus is now firmly on making the podium in the up and coming, IAAF World Indoor Championships which she won in 2006.
In the Men’s 60m, Paul Hession of Athenry AC successfully defended his title. Hession had a successful series of runs in the rounds. In the heats the Galway man ran 6.88 seconds and followed this up with 6.75 seconds in the semi-final. This improved on his seasonal best of 6.78 seconds which he ran at IAAF indoor meet in Karlsruhe Germany last weekend. Hession went onto run 6.76 seconds in the final. Hession will is firmly focused on the European Outdoor Championships will not compete in the World Indoor Championships in Doha
In the Women’s 60m Clare Brady of Celbridge AC was an impressive winner running 7.35 seconds, setting her fourth personal best of the indoor season. This was also well inside the qualifying standard for the World Indoor Championships of 7.40 seconds.
While in the Women’s 800m Ciara Mageean, produced another top class performance taking the 800m title in a new Junior Indoor Record of 2.07.82 minutes. James McIlroy of Ballymena and Antrim AC took control of the Men’s 800m final from the gun to win in 1.52.23 minutes. In form David McCarthy (Le Cheile AC), who achieved the Indoor World qualifying standard on Tuesday, set back in the field and only made a move with 200m to go. McIlroy had however already opened up a significant gap which McCarthy failed to close down.
Nick Hogan of DSD took the Men’s 400m National title in 48.59 seconds .Favourite Brian Gregan of Clonliffe Harriers failed to qualify for the A final running only 49.76 seconds in the qualifying rounds, well outside her best on Saturday. Gregan made amends for this setting a new personal best of 47.58 in the B final and edges closer to the
Mary McLoone defended her Triple Jump Title jumping 12.50m. Caoimhe King of Westport AC improved on her own Irish Junior Record by two centimeters, jumping 12.22m to finish second.
