Google+ Running in Cork, Ireland: Michelle Finn from Cork qualifies for 2016 Olympics in Rio

Sunday, July 12, 2015

Michelle Finn from Cork qualifies for 2016 Olympics in Rio

The Letterkenny International Track & Field Meeting in Donegal was held on Fri 10th of July. In the womens 3000m steeplechase race, no fewer than 3 Irish women were inside the qualifying time of 9m 45s for the 2016 Olympics in Rio. They were Kerry O'Flaherty, Michelle Finn and Sara Treacy.


Both Michelle and Kerry were also inside the qualifying standard of 9:44 for the IAAF World Championships in Beijing this year.

Michelle Finn is a member of Leevale AC in Cork and is a regular at local road races here. She was also a member of the Irish Cross Country team that won Bronze at the European Cross Country Championships in 2014. Her 3rd place time of 9:43.34 was also a PB and was a big improvement on her previous best of 9:49:00 set in May of this year.




Kerry O'Flaherty also recorded a new PB of 9:42.61 and her previous best was 9:51.64 set in June of 2015.


Sara Treacy was part of the Irish team that won Gold in the European Cross Country Championships in 2012. Her time of 9:44.14 was over 3 seconds faster than her previous best of 9:47.92 set in August of 2014.

From Letterkenny AC......"It was a night to remember for Irish womens athletics with the trio of Kerry O’Flaherty, Michelle Finn and Sara Treacy all securing qualification standards in the 3000m steeplechase for the 2016 Rio Olympic Games at the Letterkenny International Track & Field Meeting. O’Flaherty of Newcastle AC and Finn of Leevale AC also secured qualification standards for the World Athletics Championships in Beijing next month with times of 9:42.61 and 9:43.34 respectively. Dunboyne AC’s Treacy came agonisingly close to the World standard with 9:44.14, just 0.14 outside the standard."

Fast forward to ~50 secs...and again at 3:06...


Top Irish times in the 3000m steeplechase as of 11th July 2015

1 9:28.29    NR Roísín McGettigan 23 Aug 80 174/55 3    KBC-Nacht    Heusden    28 Jul 2007
2 9:37.60    Fionnuala Britton 24 Sep 84 158/45  5    adidas    New York NY    11 Jun 2011
3 9:42.91     Stephanie Reilly    23 Feb 78  7    adidas    New York NY    11 Jun 2011
4 9:42.61  Kerry O'Flaherty    15 Jul 81  2    Letterkenny    11 Jul 2015
5 9:43.34  Michele Finn    16 Dec 89  3    Letterkenny    11 Jul 2015
6 9:44.14 Sara Treacy    22 Jun 89 4        Letterkenny    11 Jul 2015
7 9:51.54     Una English        14 Aug 70  4    Spitzen    Luzern    16 Jul 2008


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