Gillick Ups The Pace In Belfast; Wright Leads Ireland To 16th

David Gillick continued to roll back the years with a big season's best at the Belfast International for a second place finish on Saturday May 7th with Ireland's walkers finishing 16th at the IAAF World Race Walking Team Championships in Rome.

Gillick (DSD) has been adopting a "one race at a time" approach to his comeback and posted an impressive 47.24 behind England's Theo Campbell in 46.24. Timmy Crowe (Clonliffe Harriers) rounded out the top three with a 47.37 second clocking. Gillick's 47.24 improved significantly on his 48.05 season opener in damp and inclement conditions at the Mary Peters Track.

Ireland's best walkers competed in much warmer conditions in Rome. Alex Wright (Leevale) was first man home in 55th in 1:24:46, Brendan Boyce (Letterkenny) was 63rd in 1:25:38, Robert Heffernan (Togher) who had been feeling unwell prior to the event was 68th in 1:26:48 with Cian McManamon 71st in 1:27:26.

There were still a number of good performances in Belfast despite the less than favourable track weather. John Travers (Donore Harriers) coasted to victory in the men's 3,000m in 8:03.69 but led home three World junior qualifying times.

Pierre Murchan (DCH), Jack O'Leary (Mullingar Harriers) and James Edgar (City of Lisburn) all clocked world junior B qualifiers for the 5,000m - a 3,000m time is taken for qualification. Murchan finished third overall in 8:11.77, O'Leary was fifth in 8:14.13 and Edgar was a place behind in 8:14.55.

Ciara Mageean (UCD) was first woman home in the mixed 3,000m in 9:07.47. Laura Crowe (An Riocht) was just pipped for second in the women's 800m by Scotland's Katy Brown - Crowe running 2:04.21 to Brown's 2:04.05.

Carla Sweeney (WSAF) clocked her second world junior B qualifier which should seal her selection - she finished 10th in 2:08.47 with Rose Finnegan (Bohermeen) running her first B qualifying time with a personal best of 2:08.93.

Aaron McGlynn (Finn Valley) impressed in the men's 800m won by Poland's Kamil Gurdak 1:48.54. The Donegal teenager ran 1:51.95 to comfortably run a European Youth qualifier. The successful meet was hosted by Beechmount Harriers with the middle distance races in conjunction with the Irish Milers Club.

Full results of the meet are:

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/53863822/Milers%20Club/2016/Results…

The athletes that competed at the Leevale 2016 Track and Field meeting defied the weather conditions to serve up some excellent performances.

There was a consistent drizzle but, importantly, no wind, with four qualifying standards achieved.

Competing in the junior men's hammer Adam King (Iveragh AC) threw 68.83m, banking a second B standard for the World Juniors which will be held in Bydgoszcz, Poland in July. King's win in the junior men's hammer and second place finish in the men's discus earned him the 'Athlete Of The Meet' award.

Brendan O'Donnell (Lifford Strabane AC) competed in the youth men's hammer and boosted his chances of selection for the European Youth Championships throwing another A standard of 66.08m.

Sharlene Mawdsley (Newport AC) won the women's 200 from Bandon's Phil Healy running a swift 23.93 to Healy's 24.19 (wind 0.6). Mawdsley's time was agonisingly close to the World Junior A standard of 23.90 but has now secured one B standard. Athletes must hit two B standards to be considered for selection.

Cathal Locke (Dooneen AC) rounded off the series of superb performances with a 54.43 in the youth 400m hurdles, giving him the A standard for this event which will be held in Tbilisi, Georgia in July.

There was great competition across all events, Christopher Sibanda (Clonliffe Harriers) won the men's 100m in an impressive 10.87, earning him the Bernard Walley Memorial Cup. He went on to win the 200m in 22.08.

Phil Healy skipped the 100m today to take on the challenge of the 400m. Competing in her first 400m race, since her viral final leg relay run in the Intervarsity competitions, notched up a win with a very respectable 54.96.

Leevale's Ben Thistlewood was presented with the Liam Horgan memorial trophy for his victory in the men's 3000m in 8:34.42.

Full Results: https://www.leevale.org/attach/16/tfmeet/lv2016_sen_res.pdf

Meanwhile at the Prague Marathon, Claire McCarthy (Leevale) finished 12th in 2:42:04 to run under the Olympic qualifying time of 2:45.

Results

IAAF World Race Walking Team Championships, Rome

Team: Ireland 16th

Alex Wright (Leevale) 55th (1:24:46)
Brendan Boyce (Letterkenny) 63rd (1:25:38)
Robert Heffernan (Togher) 68th (1:26:48)
Cian McManamon 71st (1:27:26)