by Perri Williams
There was hardly a break from the mid-week excitement in Cork when our hearts were thumping again in Dublin. As a southerner, the Cork City Sports has always been a draw, ever since I witnessed World Record after World Record in 1984 when Yuriy Sedykh threw his record hammer throw of 86.34 metres. Cork was filled with international athletes; Mary Decker Slaney, Sonia O’Sullivan, Eamonn Coughlan, Sydney Maree, Steve Ovett, John Walker, Ray Flynn, Carolina Kluft, James Beckford, Marcus O’Sullivan to name but a few. 41 years later, the Cork City Sports is still going strong. Now in its 71st year it along with the Morton Games are iconic summer track and field meets.
The Morton Games is somewhat younger. Commencing in 2008 the meet was a one off to mark the 50th anniversary of Elliot's World Mile record. Such was it success that in 2011 it became an annual meet, donning the title Morton Games a year later. Equally the Morton Games has had its fair share of stars gracing the track including hammer thrower Betty Heidler, Matt Centrowitz, Nick Symmonds, Emma Coburn, Yohan Blake, Boris Berian. The Morton mile itself has been going for a long time, it is older than the games itself. Previous winners include: Kip Keino (KEN), Eamonn Coughlan (IRL), John Walker (NZD), Steve Scott (USA), Frank O’Meara (IRL), Marcus O’Sullivan (IRL) to name but a few.
In a sun-soaked stadium at MTU, with record attendance, this year Cork’s highlights were
- Cian McPhillips (UCD AC) clocking 1:45.51, his second fastest time ever, to finish second in the Men's 800m.
- Conor Callinan (Leevale AC) wins the men’s pole vault with a new personal best of 4.92m.
- Niamh Allen (Leevale AC) finishes 5th and records a massive PB of 8:51.08 in the 3000m moving to 8th on the Irish all-time list.
- Nichola Tuthill (UCD AC) wins the hammer on home soil with another over 70m throw of 70.65m – her second-best throw ever.
- Irish record holder Olatunde was narrowly edged out in the men’s 100m sprint by Coby Hilton (USA). Olatunde showing some return to form with a time of 10.36.
- The 3000m Women’s race was won by Megan Keith (Scotland), her time of 8:38.37 snatched the long-time meet record from Sonia O’Sullivan’s.
- Inclusion of the 100m men’s Special Olympics race for the first time ever, where Paul Colgan (Muskerry Special Olympics Club) was the winner.
Moving on to Dublin and the Morton Games, where another record crowd turned out to cheer on the athletes. Highlights include:
- Cian McPhillips won in a new PB to gain a World Championship A standard in the 1500m
- Isreal Olatunde (Tallaght AC) runs his fastest race this year, a wind assisted (+2.3) 10.20 seconds, moving along in his road to Tokyo.
- Sharlene Mawdsley (Newport AC) wins the 400m in a new meet record of 51.61 seconds.
- Conor Kelly (Finn Valley AC) finishes 4th in the 400m with a new national u20 record retaining his European u20 number 1 position – pulling further ahead of Tomáš Horak.
- Alex O’Neill recorded 2:01.7 to finish 4th in the ladies 800m – just seven tenths of a second off the world championship B standard.
- Jack O’Leary finished 4th in the men’s 5000m knocking 29 seconds off his pervious best with a 13.22.67 – just 4 seconds off the World Championships B standard.
- Andrew Coscoran (Star of the Sea AC) wins the Morton Mile – his third fastest ever. Personal bests for Cathal Doyle (Clonliffe Harriers), Darragh McIlhenny (Bantry AC), Nick Griggs (CNDR) and Shane Bracken (Swinford AC).
- Irish u23 and NI record for Nick Griggs in the Mile
- Eric Favors (Raheny AC) finishes 2nd in the shot. Seasons best for John Kelly (Finn Valley AC) in the men’s shot putt with a throw of 18.36m