Alex O'Neill dethrones Sarah Healy to run out shock winner of 800m

Irish Daily Mirror

2 days ago

Alex O'Neill dethroned Sarah Healy to run out a shock winner of the 800m at the Irish National Senior Championships in Santry, Dublin.
European indoor 3000m champion Healy went into the race as the hot favourite having qualified fastest from the heats.
But in a tactical race, once O'Neill kicked for home off a slow pace, the alarm bells began to ring for Healy.
Boxed in by the eventual winner and Maeve O'Neill, Healy dug in and rallied up the inside lane in a barnstorming finish.
But the line came up just in time for Clare woman Alex O'Neill to win her first national senior title and take Healy's scalp.
O'Neill said: "I'm delighted. I haven't raced in a national championship in a while, so it's huge to get a senior title, an unbelievable feeling.
"I've been feeling really strong lately and I was hoping it would go to a kick finish although I was a little bit apprehensive to do that after leading.
"But I was just trying to keep them off at the bends and make them work that little bit extra."
She added: "I was just trying to do as my coach said, to make my stride shorter and relax my face. I am not sure if I managed to do that, but it was great to be able to hold them off."
There was also a thrilling finish to the men's 800m final as the two protagonists Mark English and Cian McPhillips engaged in a prolonged battle down the straight.
But it was 32-year-old English, in the form of his life, who got the better of the younger man to win his tenth national title in a time of 1:48.76.
Asked what has clicked this year, the Donegal man and Irish record holder said: "I changed coach back in November, and I've increased the volume a little bit, so I think they have been the differences.
"After the indoor season, I went out to altitude again, so that might have had an effect too. But I guess it's just an accumulation of all the little changes I've made over the last year.
"I'm hoping to have another race or two before the world championships. I can't wait for that as I'm in great shape at the minute."
There was also a tenth national title for Sarah Lavin as she stormed away from the field to win the 100m hurdles in a time of 12.92.
Having finished second to Sharlene Mawdsley in the 200m final on Saturday, Lavin excelled in her favourite discipline to stretch clear of silver medallist Molly Scott and bronze medallist Sarah Quinn.
There was also a big winning distance in the men's 100m final as Bori Akinola streaked away to take gold.
Into a headwind, the 23-year-old ran an impressive time of 10.29 to finish clear of Sean Aigboboh (10.41) and Lorcan Murphy (10.57).
In the men's 5000m, Brian Fay attempted to nullify the speed of Andrew Coscoran by kicking for home early.
But Coscoran, 29, had plenty in reserve to pass Fay up the home straight and go clear at the line in time of 13:34.14.
Coscoran wasn't done there, though. Ninety minutes later, the Balbriggan man lined out in a stacked field for 1500m final.
Cathal Doyle, looking for his fourth consecutive win in the race, made a decisive move to the front with 200m to go, though, and never let up to win in a time of 3:53.60.
Coscoran looked to be showing the effects of his 5000m exertions when fifth coming around the final bend, but to his great credit, he powered up the straight to snatch second from Nick Griggs.
In the women's 400m, Sophie Becker, in the absence of Sharlene Mawdsley, was the favourite to defend her title, and she did so in great style, hitting the line in 52.87, ahead of Rachael McCann and Cliodhna Manning.
Becker's Donore Harriers' training partner Jack Raftery also went back-to-back in the men's 400m, clocking a winning time of 45.71 to finish ahead of five-time champion Chris O'Donnell and Ciaran Carthy.