Irish results from the indoor athletics meet in Prague...Tues 25th Feb 2014

Three Irish athletes were in action at an athletics indoor meeting in the Czech capital Prague on Tuesday evening the 25th of February 2014. Both Ciara Everard and Rose-Ann Galligan were within two seconds of the Irish indoor record of 2:02.54. In the mens 300m, David McCarthy of West Waterford AC finished in 7:54.39, about three seconds away from his personal best of 7:51.24.

Women 800m
1    Jennifer Meadows    810417    Great Britain    MR2:01.67       
2    Lenka Masná    850422    Czech Republic    2:01.83       
3    Yekaterina Poistogova    910301    Russia    2:02.98       
4    Ciara Everard    900710    Ireland    SB2:04.02       
5    Irina Maracheva    840929    Russia    2:04.08       
6    Yevgeniya Zinurova    821216    Russia    2:04.11       
7    Rose-Anne Galligan    871209    Ireland    2:04.12       
8    Anastasiya Tkachuk    930420    Ukraine    2:05.15       
9    Fabienne Kohlmann    891106    Germany    2:06.28       
10    Edao Dureti    965408    Ethiopia    2:06.87       

Men 3000m
1    Koech Paul Kipsiele    811110    Kenya    MR07:47.20       
2    Yegor Nikolayev    880212    Russia    SB07:49.99       
3    Yitayal Atnafu    930120    Ethiopia    SB07:52.41       
4    Debeli Gezmu    960414    Ethiopia    PB07:53.04       
5    Jakub Holuša    880220    Czech Republic    PB07:53.21       
6    David McCarthy    880803    Ireland    SB07:54.39       
7    Mitko Tsenov    930613    Bulgaria    08:00.80       
Volodymyr Kyts    870115    Ukraine    DQ163.3a   

The best performance of the meeting was probably that of Russian Ivan Ukhov who set a new European indoor record of 2.42 metres in the high jump...

One of the top female high jumpers in the world in Carlow for treatment

Every so often in the world of athletics news, something of Irish interest pops up. One such item was released by the IAAF today when they mentioned that one of the worlds top female athletes Blanka Vlasic from Croatia was in Co.Carlow of all places for treatment for an achilles injury. As the article says........" the journey back to the being one of the best exponents of her art has begun in the most peculiar of places. Carlow:  a small, sleepy town in south east Ireland."

Blanka Vlasic was the World Indoor high jump champion in 2008 and 2010 and was voted World Athlete of the Year in 2010.

The following is an extract from the article....“I’m really happy,” Vlasic says of her current progress, which is being overseen by Irish physical therapist Anthony Geoghegan at his clinic in Carlow. “At this point everything looks good. I’m on the right track,” she added, looking ahead to next year’s Championships, which take place in the Polish city of Sopot from 7-9 March. I don’t want to rush it,” she said. “Once I come back, I want to be 100 per cent; not only 100 per cent healthy but also with good results. My subjective feeling will tell me what to do, when I’m ready.”

The full article can be seen HERE

Interview......Irish sports commentator Will Downing caught up with Blanka Vlasic and the 15 minute interview can be heard below...

David Cussen of Old Abbey AC sets new PB in the high jump

Just catching up on a piece of news from last week. On Sunday the 18th of August, the Athletics Ireland Track & Field League final was held in Tullamore, Co.Offaly. David Cussen who was competing as a guest for Bandon AC won the mens competition with a jump of 2.13 metres.

High Jump - Men Division One
Place Name Club Hgt(m)
1 David Cussen Bandon A.C. 2.13
2 Mark Rogers Louth Athletics 1.75
3 Ian Crowley Riocht A.C. 1.70

This was a new record height for the Cork athlete, beating his previous best of 2.10 metres  which he set at the Cork City Sports in June. This now moves him from joint 15th to joint 11th on the Irish mens all time list and he is still only 17 years old.

Photo...Athletics Ireland

David Cussen of Old Abbey AC finishes 9th in the High Jump at the World Youth Championships

The IAAF World Youth Championships are currently taking place in Donetsk, Ukraine with the events spread out over five days. The high jump final concluded on Saturday the 13th of July and David Cussen from Old Abbey AC in Cork finished a very credible 9th out of 12 competitors.

David who is just 17 years old cleared 2.07 metres, just 3 cms short of his personal best of 2:10 which he set at the recent Cork City Sports. David's previous PB had been 2.06.

High Jump...Dick Fosbury and 'the flop'

For the majority of people, the high jump has always had one particular style...the 'Fosbury Flop'. The athlete essentially jumps over the bar head first with their shoulders and back closest to the ground with their legs trailing behind and then flipped upwards at the last moment. It may seem that it was always this way but prior to 1968, high jump techniques were completely different.

In the early part of the 20th century, the 'scissors' was popular but this was largely replaced later with variations of the 'straddle'. This technique was the dominant style until the Olympic Games in Mexico in 1968 when a relatively unknown US high jumper called Dick Fosbury took the Gold.....(video HERE although it's a bit long)

The Guardian had an interesting piece on the 'Fosbury Flop' on Tuesday and how it changed the high jump forever.....Article HERE

In this interview, Dick Fosbury talks about the technique named after him and it's impact on the sport...