Cork sprinter Phil Healy sets new 200m national record

Top Cork sprinter Phil Healy set a new national record when she ran 22.99 seconds in the 200mat the Cork City Sports last night. The 23 year old Balndon AC athlete from Ballineen recently broke the Irish 100m record.

These are the top 5 times from Irish women....

Leon Reid...The new Irish sprint sensation???

While Leon Reid was born in Bath in England, his birth mother was from Belfast and his foster mother is from Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford. Even though the 23-year-old is one of the top sprinters in Britain, he has applied for an Irish passport and has declared for Ireland.

At the Great Britain trials in Birmingham earlier this month,  Reid who also runs for Northern Ireland, finished third in the 200m in a new personal best 20.38 seconds - 0.06 inside the mark required for the World Championships. A delay in paperwork however will mean that he is ineligible for that particular competition.



Back in February of this year, he won both the 60m and 200m titles at the Irish Indoor Championships while competing for Menapians AC, a Wexford based club. He also featured in the recent Cork City Sports where he ran 20.38 in the 200m to finish third behind two Americans.

Considering that he is only 23 years old (his birthday is today!) and that he is likely to get faster, we are probably going to hear a lot more about Leon Reid in the future.

Links...
https://www.balls.ie/amp/athletics/leon-reid-ireland-369450

Top Irish sprinter Phil Healy from Cork sets new national record

Joan & Phil Healy

At a national league meeting in Athlone last Saturday, Phil Healy of Bandon AC ran 7.25 seconds in the Indoor 60m race to set a new Irish Under 23 record. Phil who is from Ballineen in West Cork is still only 21 years old and is already one of Ireland top female sprinters. Her time of 7.35 seconds moves her up into joint 4th on the all time Irish list.

Athlone. Women 60m. 6th Feb 2016
1 Phil Healy Bandon A.C. 7.35
2 Joan Healy Bandon A.C. 7.41
3 Sarah Kate Lacey Kilkenny City Harriers A.C. 7.85
4 Louise Kiernan Fingallians 7.97
5 Margaret Caldbeck Kilkenny City Harriers A.C. 8.06
6 Cara Brennan Donore Harriers  8.16
7 Carol Kearney Lucan Harriers A.C. 9.22
8 Edith Coakley Lucan Harriers A.C. 9.23

60m Irish Women Indoors All time list
1 7.30 Anna Boyle Birmingham    3 Mar 2007
2 7.32 Ailis McSweeney Belfast 20 Feb 2011
2 7.32 Amy Foster    Athlone    16 Feb 2014
4 7.35 Claire Brady     Belfast    7 Feb 2010
4 7.35 Phil Healy Athlone 6 Feb 2016
6 7.36 Emily Maher Belfast 19 Feb 2006
7 7.38 Michelle Carroll Birmingham 27 Feb 1993
7 7.38 Kelly Proper     Athlone    22 Feb 2015
9 7.41 Joan Healy    Athlone    6 Feb 2016
10 7.43 Sarah Reilly Birmingham 12 Jan 2002

Phil's sister Joan Healy also recorded a personal best of 7.47 seconds in the same race and moves up into 9th on the all time Irish indoor list.

On the Sunday, the Healy sisters were in action again in the AAI Indoor Games. In the 60m, both were fractionally slower with only Amy Foster managing to post a faster time on the day.
 
60m SEN  Women  Time :11:42 ..Athlone 7th Feb 2016
1 FOSTER Amy                   7.38           
2 HEALY Phil                   7.43           
3 HEALY Joan                   7.47           
4 NEVILLE Ciara                7.56           
5 MURRAY  Sarah                7.67           
6 LAVIN Sarah                  7.68           
7 MCCARTHY Sarah               7.71           
8 FREEMAN Ara                  7.85   

Phil was back in action in the afternoon and won the 200m race in a new personal best time of 23.74 seconds. That's two PB's in two days! That performance now moves her up into 4th on the Irish 200m Indoor all time list.

200m  All time Irish indoor list
1 23.17 Ciara Sheehy Birmingham 2 Mar 2003
2 23.27 Kelly Proper Athlone    22 Feb 2015
3 23.30 Sarah Reilly Birmingham    13 Jan 2002
4 23.74    Phil Healy Athlone    7 Feb 2016
5 23.82     Steffi Creaner    Athlone    6 Feb 2015

The results of both competitions can be found on the Leevale AC website... National League on Sat HERE ..... AAI Games on Sun HERE

Usain Bolt beats Gatlin again to win 200m Gold

The final of the mens 200m today saw a rematch between Usain Bolt and Justin Gatlin once again. With the two of them level at the 100m mar, Bolt used his long stride to pull away over the second 100m to take Gold.

POS    ATHLETE    COUNTRY    MARK        REACTION TIME
1    Usain BOLT    JAM JAM        19.55    WL    0.147
2    Justin GATLIN    USA USA        19.74        0.161
3    Anaso JOBODWANA    RSA RSA    19.87    NR    0.154
4    Alonso EDWARD    PAN PAN        19.87    SB    0.170
5    Zharnel HUGHES    GBR GBR        20.02    PB    0.119
6    Ramil GULIYEV    TUR TUR            20.11        0.180
7    Femi OGUNODE    QAT QAT            20.27        0.198
8    Nickel ASHMEADE    JAM JAM    20.33        0.132

This was also Bolt's 10th Gold medal at World Championships.

Usain Bolt wins mens 200m in World Championships in 19.66 seconds

Usain Bolt of Jamaica won the mens 200m at the IAAF World Championships today in Moscow in a time of 19.66 seconds.

POS ATHLETE    COUNTRY    MARK        REACTION TIME
1 Usain BOLT     JAM     19.66     WL    0.177
2 Warren WEIR    JAM     19.79     PB    0.176
3 Curtis MITCHELL     USA     20.04        0.147
4 Nickel ASHMEADE    JAM     20.05        0.145
5 Adam GEMILI    GBR     20.08        0.151
6 Anaso JOBODWANA    RSA     20.14        0.172
7 Churandy MARTINA     NED     20.35        0.138
8 Jaysuma SAIDY NDURE     NOR     20.37        0.145

This equals the 19th fastest 200m time ever yet Bolt was just cruising at the end.

Louise Shanahan from Cork wins Gold at the European Youth Olympic Festival

Last week, a 16 strong Irish team travelled to compete at the European Youth Olympic Festival in Utrecht, Netherlands between the 14th and 19th of July.

In the girls 3,000m race, Síobhra O'Flaherty took 25 seconds off her previous personal best time to win the Silver medal in 9:42.47, less than a second away from the Gold. In the boys 1,500m final, William Crowe won Silver in a time of 3:39.08, just two seconds behind the Gold. In the girls 200m final, Roseanna McGuckian won the bronze medal in a time of 24.42 seconds, taking one tenth of a second off her previous best set in the semi-finals. Roseanna who has just turned 16 years old was already the 37th fastest on the Irish Womens Alltime list after running 24.54 back in June. Her new PB now makes her 27th fastest and will no doubt be moving up the rankings over the next few years.

In the girls 4 x 100m relay, the Irish team of Phoebe Murphy (Clonmel AC), Niamh McNicol, Laura-Ann Costello and Roseanna McGuckian finished first in a time of 46.55 seconds.

The star individual performance was from Louise Shanahan (Leevale AC) from Cork who won gold in the girls 800m final. Starting in lane 7, Louise took the inside track from early on and went through 400m in joint third. While most of the field kicked from about 200m out for the finish, Louise then in 5th position waited until about 120 metres and powered down the home straight to take Gold while the rest of the field were fading badly.



A well executed race and no doubt we'll see Louise making great strides in the years ahead.

Usain Bolt runs 19.79s for 200m in Paris

At the Diamond League meeting in Paris this evening, the Olympic champion Usain Bolt won the 200m in a time of 19.73 seconds, the fastest time in the world for 2013. This was Bolt's second race over the distance having clocked 19.79 in Oslo, Norway on the 13th of June.

In a post race interview, he said..."I'm happy with myself but I still need to work on a few mistakes."

Bolt's main rival in the upcoming World Championships in Moscow will be Tyson Gay who won the recent US trials in a time of 19.74s. Bolt's compatriot and Olympic Silver medalist Yohan Blake will not be contesting the 200m in the World Championships as he missed the Jamaican trials due to a hamstring injury.



# ATHLETE NATION RESULT REACTION TIME
1 BOLT Usain JAM 19.73 WL,MR 0.193
2 WEIR Warren JAM 19.92 0.199
3 LEMAITRE Christophe FRA 20.07 SB 0.165
4 YOUNG Jason JAM 20.12 SB 0.170
5 ASHMEADE Nickel JAM 20.21 0.134
6 VICAUT Jimmy FRA 20.30 PB 0.173
7 MITCHELL Maurice USA 20.61 0.150
8 ZEZE Mickael-Meba FRA 21.29 0.181

Fastest 200m times of 2013
Usain Bolt (Jam) - 19.73 seconds
Tyson Gay (US) - 19.74
Usain Bolt (Jam) - 19.79
Warren Weir (Jam) - 19.79
Isiah Young (US) - 19.86
Warren Weir (Jam) - 19.92
Curtis Mitchell (US) - 19.99
Source: IAAF

Bolt bounces back with a sub 20 second 200m win in Oslo...

Following his defeat to Justin Gatlin in the 100m in Rome in mid-June, the Olympic champion and world record holder Usain Bolt was back in action in Oslo at the end of last week...



In cold conditions in Oslo, Bolt won the 200m race in a time of 19.79 seconds, the fastest 200m time in the world this year. He also broke the 19 year old stadium record of 19.82 set by the great Frankie Fredericks.

Four more years at the top.......In a recent interview, Bolt declared that he was looking to stay number one in the world for the next four years. He said.......“I think I have four more years left in the sport, so now it’s all about dominating for those four years. I’m looking forward to the next Olympics to do something that’s never been done before. That’s one of my biggest goals right now. And for the next four years I will try to dominate the sport and show people that it’s possible to go on being the best, year in, year out.”

On his current form, he said......"I ran against the best field last season at the Olympics and I beat all of them, but this season is a different season and I’ll be taking it just like the Olympics because there’s a World Championship (Moscow in August 2013) that I’ll be focusing on. I’m definitely looking forward to the challenge. I thrive on challenges. Everyone’s going to bring their 'A’ game to the championship and I’m looking forward to it because running against the best is always a joy, so that I can show the world I’m the best.”

Olympic champion but still has to qualify......In the last few days, Bolt has been informed by Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA) that he will need to run a qualifying time for the 100m for the World Championships in Moscow. Although he was given a wildcard pass for the longer 200m sprint, the JAAA gave the 100m wildcard to Yohann Blake, the current world champion over the distance.

The IAAF only allow countries to issue one wildcard entry per event. The trials start June 20.

Yohan Blake beats Usain Bolt in 200m race in Jamaica...

In the final of the 200m at the Jamaican Olympic trials, Yohan Blake has beaten the Olympic champion and world record holder Usain Bolt...

.
 Jamaica National Championship Meet...6/28/2012 to 7/1/2012......Jamaica Athletic Administrative Association...National Stadium, Kingston                     

Event 4  Men 200 Meter Dash
=====================================================================
    Name                     Age Team                    Finals  Wind
=====================================================================
Finals                                                              
  1 Blake, Yohan                 Racers Track Club        19.80  -0.5
  2 Bolt, Usain                  Racers Track Club        19.83  -0.5
  3 Weir, Warren                 Racers Track Club        20.03  -0.5
  4 Ashmeade, Nickel             Unattached               20.16  -0.5
  5 Carter, Nesta                Mvp Track Club           20.45  -0.5
  6 Forte, Julian                Mvp Track Club           20.70  -0.5
  7 Young, Jason                 Racers Track Club        20.71  -0.5
..
In a post race interview, Usain Bolt said....."Definitely, I have something to prove. I'm the Olympic champion so I have to show the world I am still the best. It's not like I was blown away, I know what I need to do to get it right. I just have to get my stuff together. It's all about putting in the work. I need to figure out what I did wrong and just work on that. I'm a little bit weak but I have a few more weeks to get myself back into shape. I'm not far off, I know I can get it done, I'm not worried. Everyone is talking about Yohan Blake and he is proving himself as one of the greatest, but for me it is just going back to training and work on what I need to work on and get it done. I can never be discouraged. I'm never worried until my coach gets worried and my coach is not worried."
..