Healy becomes first Irish woman to break 23 seconds in 200m

Phil Healy added to her stellar season when she ran 22.99 seconds to become the first Irish female athlete to break 23 seconds in the 200m.

Competing at the Cork City Sports at the CIT track, the 24-year-old beat the record which has stood since Sarah Reilly clocked 23.02 in 2001, on her way to a third-place finish.

Two-time Olympian Crystal Emmanuel of Canada took first place in a time of 22.76.

Last month the Cork woman set a new Irish record in the 100m with a time of 11.28, while she posted personal best times in the 200m and 400m days later in Geneva.

While the 400m is Healy's main event focus, she now has the European Athletics Championships standards for the 100m, 200m and 400m which takes place in Berlin next month.

Sophie O’Sullivan, fresh from her silver medal exploits in the 800m at the European Under-18 championships in Hungary, took first place in the 1500m with her mother Sonia among the spectators.

Marcus Lawlor ran a career best 20.40 in the men’s 200m to move behind Paul Hession as the fastest Irish athlete over that particular distance.