Gareth Turnbull’s victory in the 1500m proved to be the highlight of the final day’s action at the National Athletics Championships at Morton Stadium in Santry, north Dublin.
Turnbull emerged as Ireland’s leading runner over the distance as he took gold ahead of James Nolan in a battle to the line. With 300m to go, Nolan ran onto the Belfast athlete’s shoulder but Turnbull didn’t falter and held off the UCD athlete, who had ran 3:35.69 last Sunday.
Turnbull’s winning time of 3:40.31 wasn’t particularly fast but he was nonetheless pleased with his gold: “Those are the sort of races you get involved in the sport for, especially after the injuries I’ve had in the last three years.”
Paul McKee, of Beechmount Harriers, ran the fourth fastest 400m of the season in taking the title in a time of 46.43. The surprise of the race came when Celbridge’s David McCarthy failed to finish second as expected, with Dundrum’s David Gillick edging him out for silver.
Afterwards McKee spoke of his plans for the World Championships in Paris, which begin in a fortnight’s time: “I’ll rest and train for the next two weeks and get into race groove for Paris. I was very pumped up for the race. I wanted to run sub-46 but unfortunately the time didn’t come for me.”
Sonia O’Sullivan triumphed in the 5000m with a trademark burst of speed over the final 200m, with a disappointing time of 15:25. Marian’s Marie McMahon-Davenport was runner-up.
Gary Ryan is due the title of ‘unluckiest man of the meet’. The Nenagh sprinter Was clearly out to banish yesterday’s 200m ghosts and ran a personal and national best of 10.29. However, the wind was fractionally over the legal limit for it to dislodge Paul Brizzel’s national record of 10.35 seconds.
US-based Karen Shinkins retained her 400m title with the fast improving Joanne Cuddihy of Kilkenny taking second in a new Irish under-20 record of 53.02.
In the field, record breaker Terry McHugh took his 20th consecutive javelin title, with his 30th birthday due the day before the World Championships begin. Lagan Valley’s Erin Kinnear broke her own personal best and national record for pole vault glory.
Afterwards, Athletics Ireland confirmed the Irish team that would travel to Paris. There were no surprises in the selection, however, Sonia O'Sullivan will compete only in one discipline - the 5,000m.
Women: 400m Karen Shinkins (DCH), 5000m Sonia O'Sullivan (Ballymore/Cobh), 10000m Marie Davenport (Marian), 100m Hurdles Derval O'Rourke (UCD), 20km Walk Gillian O'Sullivan (Farranfore), 20km Walk Olive Loughnane (Loughrea).
Men: 200m Paul Brizzel (Ballymena & Antrim), 400m Paul McKee (Beechmount Hrs), 1500m Gareth Turnbull (St Malachy’s), 5000m /10000m Cathal Lombard (Leevale), 110m Hurdles Peter Coghlan (Crusaders), 50km Walk Jamie Costin (West Waterford), 4x400m relay Paul McKee, David Gillick (DSD), David McCarthy (Celbridge), Paul Opperman (DSD), Gary Ryan (Nenagh Olympic), Paul Brizzel.
Filed by James Boylan
