Kate O'Connor delivers a gold medal at the World University Games
The Dundalk athlete amassed a total of 6487, breaking her own national record of 6297 she set back in 2021.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The 42
3 days ago
- The 42
Sarah Lavin makes history at National Championships as O'Neill stuns Healy in women's 800m
SARAH LAVIN MADE history at the National Senior Championships today as she became the most decorated female hurdler in the history of these championships. Lavin surged to victory in the women's 100m hurdles final, clocking 12.92 to claim her 10th national senior title on the track. Molly Scott took silver in a time of 13.61 while Sarah Quinn ran 13.84 to clinch bronze. Meanwhile in the women's 800m, Alex O'Neill of Limerick A.C. caused a huge upset as she edged European Indoor Champion Sarah Healy to win in 2:04.53 while Maeve O'Neill (Doheny AC) won the bronze medal in 2:04.69. Andrew Coscoran was crowned the men's 5000m champion, clocking 13:34.14 to top the podium ahead of Brian Fay (Raheny Shamrocks) who was second in 13:34.92 with Jack O'Leary of Mullingar Harriers taking bronze in 13:41.47. Sarah Lavin coasts clear to take the Women's 100m Hurdles title Watch now on 📺 #RTESport — RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) August 3, 2025 Coscoran also featured in the 1500m today but was edged out by Cathal Doyle of Clonliffe Harriers who won in 3:53.60. The bronze medal went to Nick Griggs who crossed the line in 3:53.90. Nicola Tuthill, who won a silver medal at the World University Games last week, continued her brilliant form by adding a fourth national title in the women's hammer. Her throw of 71.75m also sets a new Irish U23 record. Alex O'Neill is the new Women's 800m champion in a photo finish in Santry Watch live now on RTÉ 2 📺 #RTESport — RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) August 3, 2025 Sophie Becker defended her women's 400m crown while Mark English won the men's 800m title for the 10th time as he held off the challenge of Cian McPhillips. Advertisement Bori Akinola won the men's 100m while Ciara Neville won the women's title over the same distance. Selected Day 2 Results Men's 100m Bori Akinola – U.C.D. A.C. – 10.29 Sean Aigboboh – Tallaght A.C. – 10.41 Lorcan Murphy – Dundrum South Dublin A.C. – 10.57 Men's 400m Jack Raftery – Donore Harriers — 45.71 Christopher O'Donnell – North Sligo — 46.27 Ciaran Carthy – Dundrum South Dublin — 46.34 Men's 800m Mark English – Finn Valley A.C. – 1:48.76 Cian Mc Phillips – U.C.D. A.C. – 1:49.26 Andrew Thompson – North Belfast Harriers – 1:49.93 Men's 1500m Cathal Doyle – Clonliffe Harriers A.C. – 3:53.60 Andrew Coscoran – Star of the Sea A.C. – 3:53.84 Nick Griggs – CNDR Track A.C. – 3:53.90 Men's 110m Hurdles Adam Nolan – St. Laurence O'Toole A.C. – 14.24 Gerard O'Donnell – Carrick-on-Shannon A.C. – 14.40 Conor Penney – Craughwell A.C. – 14.70 Men's 400m Hurdles Niall Carney – Clonliffe Harriers A.C. – 54.87 Briain Cullinan – Sligo A.C. – 54.89 Jason O'Reilly – Killarney Valley A.C. – 55.33 Men's 5000m Andrew Coscoran – Star of the Sea A.C. – 13:34.14 Brian Fay – Raheny Shamrock A.C. – 13:34.92 Jack O'Leary – Mullingar Harriers A.C. – 13:41.47 Men's Hammer Throw Sean Mockler — Moycarkey Coolcroo A.C – 65.62m Simon Galligan (Clonliffe Harriers A.C.) – 60.79m Cóil ÓMuirí (Fr. Murphy A.C.) – 56.68m Men's Pole Vault Matthew Callinan Keenan — St. Laurence O'Toole A.C – 4.80m Conor Callinan (Leevale A.C.) – 4.70m Joshua Fitzgerald (Leevale A.C.) – 4.60m Women's 100m Ciara Neville – Emerald A.C. – 11.44 Lauren Roy – Fast Twitch A.C. – 11.49 Mollie O'Reilly – Dundrum South Dublin A.C. – 11.60 Women's 400m Sophie Becker – Raheny Shamrock — 52.87 Rachel McCann – North Down — 53.19 Cliodhna Manning – Kilkenny City Harriers — 53.99 Women's 100m Hurdles Sarah Lavin – Emerald A.C. – 12.92 Molly Scott – St. Laurence O'Toole A.C. – 13.61 Sarah Quinn – St. Colmans South Mayo A.C. – 13.84 Women's 400m Hurdles Cara Murphy – Dundrum South Dublin A.C. – 59.85 Ellis McHugh – Ferrybank A.C. – 1:00.13 Lauren Kilduff – Craughwell A.C. – 1:00.39 Women's 800m Alex O'Neill – Limerick Track A.C. – 2:04.53 Sarah Healy – U.C.D. A.C. – 2:04.57 Maeve O'Neill – Doheny A.C. – 2:04.69 Women's 1500m Laura Nicholson – Bandon A.C. – 4:13.32 Zoe Toland – CNDR Track A.C. – 4:15.11 Niamh Carr – Dublin City Harriers A.C. – 4:16.08 Women's 5000m Niamh Allen – Leevale A.C. – 15:35.90 Anika Thompson – Leevale A.C. – 15:40.56 Fiona Everard – Bandon A.C. – 16:04.36 Women's Hammer Throw Nicola Tuthill — UCD AC – 71.75m Margaret Hayden — Tallaght A.C. – 60.22 Caoimhe Gallen — Lifford Strabane A.C. – 54.27 Women's Discus Niamh Fogarty — Raheny Shamrock A.C. – 55.08m Anna Gavigan (LSA) – 51.30m Marie Hanahan (Ballyskenach A.C.) – 38.63m Read the full list of results here
Irish Daily Mirror
5 days ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
How to watch Ireland's Olympians compete at Morton Stadium this weekend
Olympians galore in Santry this weekend even if Rhasidat Adeleke has to give the National Track and Field Championships at Morton Stadium. Adeleke revealed this week that she is dealing with a "lingering" injury problem just six weeks out from the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo. However there is still a star-studded line-up scheduled to compete at the Dublin venue today and tomorrow for the 153rd staging of the outdoor senior championships. Reigning European Indoor 3000m champion Sarah Healy is competing in the 800m, while her fellow Euro medallists Kate O'Connor and Mark English, plus fellow Olympians Lavin, Sharlene Mawdsley, Sophie Becker, Phil Healy, Sophie O'Sullivan and Andrew Coscorcan are due to run. It is also an opportunity for athletics fans to celebrate recent European under-23 medallists Nicola Tuthill (hammer), Anika Thompson (5,000m), Eimear Maher (1,500m) and Nick Griggs (1,500m). Spectators could be treated to some thrilling showdowns with Healy, the defending 800m champion, potentially going head to head with Sophie O'Sullivan after their brilliant duel for gold and silver in the European under-23 Championships in 2023. The men's 100m is an exciting prospect with reigning champion Israel Olatunde going up against his relay team-mate Bori Akinola, who beat Olatunde for the first time in the National Indoor Championships earlier this year. Ireland's Kate O'Connor (Image: ©INPHO/Nikola Krstic) One of the highlights of the weekend will be the clash between English, if he decides to compete in the 800m for a ninth national senior title rather than the 400m, and Mark McPhillips. English is in superb form but McPhillips, nine years his junior, served notice of his arrival in the senior ranks by posting 1:44.19 to win at the Morton Games this summer, just behind the 1:43:92 new Irish record set by English in June. The action starts at noon today, with some of the highlights on day one including the finals of the men's and women's 200m as well as a host of field event finals that look set to feature Olympian Eric Favors in the shot put. Sunday's action starts at 1pm and a series of finals are in store, including the medal deciders in the men's and women's 100m, 400m, 800m, and 1500m. For those who want to attend, there are single and two day tickets available on the Athletics Ireland website, while under-16s go free.. For those who want to watch online, the action will be shown live on the Athletics Ireland YouTube Channel, with live coverage on RTÉ 2 from 5-7.30pm on Sunday. Get the latest sports headlines straight to your inbox by signing up for free email .
RTÉ News
6 days ago
- RTÉ News
Preview: Sarah Healy headlines star-powered National Athletics Championships
July was a bumper month for Irish athletics, particularly for the underage and college athletes, who managed to scoop 11 medals at championships, including Kate O'Connor's third medal of the year at the World University Games. Now it is time for the senior athletes to continue the tally, but it remains to be seen whether September's World Championships will be quite as fruitful as the indoor season that saw Mark English, Sarah Healy and O'Connor all medalling. Global championships are understandably tricky to medal in, with Rob Heffernan's 2013 gold the last time Amhrán na bhFiann rang out a World Athletics Championships, will this be the year we hear it again? The first hurdle for those aiming for this year's only major in Tokyo is the national championships taking place on 2 and 3 August at the Morton Stadium in Santry. Participation is one of the clauses for selection, although history tells us that isn't always the case and every year the absence of a big name causes a stir. Rhasidat Adeleke's decision to forgo this weekend's nationals with injury trouble doesn't necessarily spell disaster for the rest of her season, and taking time away from the track could well be critical in making the start line in Tokyo. Nine individuals, including Adeleke, and two relays have automatic qualification standards for Tokyo, with three marathoners already selected. Admittedly, there is slightly less at stake than in 2024, where Olympic qualification hung in the balance for the likes of Sophie Becker and Jodie McCann, on what was the final opportunity for securing points towards their rank, but it still promises to be a drama-filled weekend. The qualification period will remain open for three weeks after nationals and fewer athletes are on the cusp, but there will be a few chasing points to make the start line at the worlds in the weeks following the national championships. Darragh McElhinney is the closest of those on that cusp, currently sitting in 48th place on the global rankings, just six spots outside qualifying for the 5000m. The Bandon native isn't entered in the 12.5-lap event and instead will drop down to the metric mile which looks like it could be the highest quality race of the championship, provided everyone turns up that is, which may be the running theme of the weekend. Men's 1500m Two men have all but booked their tickets for worlds in the 1500m, Cathal Doyle and Andrew Coscoran, both have the automatic qualifying time of 3:33.00 ticked off this year already. The absence of Luke McCann following knee surgery and Nick Griggs ' delayed start to the season, means for the first time since 2021 there won't be three Irish men in the 1500m at an international outdoor championship. The event still promises to be the track must-watch of the nationals, with McElhinney and Griggs, who seem to be focusing on the 5k event this year, dropping down to join Doyle and Coscoran in the fight for the title. Both Griggs and McElhinney are entered in a fast 5000m next weekend in Belgium and the 1500m at nationals will be a suitable tune-up. Shane Bracken is one to keep an eye on, having claimed his first Irish vest this year at the European Team Championships in June where he finished an impressive third. The 27-year-old may be hoping to avenge his fourth-place finish in last year's final so look out for the red and black vest of Swinford down the home straight. Coscoran was also entered in the 5000m but subtly stated his intention to run in the 1500m in an Instagram post yesterday, and could be feeling confident after beating Doyle earlier this month. With five or six men in the frame for the medals and Doyle fresh from an 800m personal best in Luxembourg it could be a cagey affair. Doyle will be determined to settle the score against the national record holder who beat him in the famous Morton Mile earlier this month, and a determined Doyle is hard to beat. Women's 400m With potentially six places on offer for the women's side of the relays in Tokyo, tensions will be high for the one-lap sprint final on Sunday evening, as head-to-heads are critical in team selection decisions. Sharlene Mawdsley is entered in both the 200m and 400m for the two-day championship, and based on previous patterns the 26-year-old will choose which one rather than double-up. Mawdsley will be hoping to claim her third national title with possibly some inspiration drawn from Tipp's All-Ireland heroics two weeks ago, she is ranked second in the nation this year with her 50.93 season's best from the European Team Championships. Three out of four from last year's Olympic 4x400m squad are entered, and with Rhasidat Adeleke absent from the national championships with "additional lingering setbacks" according to a statement she made on X yesterday, it leaves Becker, Mawdsley and Phil Healy in the fight for the title. Becker is reigning champion in the event and after battling back from injury over the winter had an impressive early showing with an individual clocking of 51.69 as well as a strong leg at the World Relays. She has since revealed a subsequent injury set-back, but has returned to racing and will require a tough challenger to take her title on the track she trains on with the Dublin Sprint training group. Healy is a bit of an unknown entity, and Saturday's heats will be her first individual outdoor 400m race of the year, but she has recently tested her speed over the 100m and 200m at the Cork City Sports event. There could be stiff competition for the minor places from young stars breaking through. Erin Friel will be riding high from a bronze medal and personal best in the European Youth Olympic Festival in North Macedonia last week and along with Jenna Breen, who is ranked sixth in the country this year, they could both be underrated potential medallists. Women's 800m Sarah Healy will be hopeful of retaining her 800m national title and there is a possibility of the same exhibition display that she did indoors, where she broke the championship record in the heats. The European indoor champion explained why she has chosen the two-lap event for her first home race since wining the title: "I have raced so many 1500s this year and it's very rare I get a chance to run an 800 and it will probably be a good quality field at nationals and it's a good chance for me to challenge myself in a different way," Healy told RTÉ Sport. Healy currently leads the Diamond League and won the Rome event in June. "I've been really lucky to do all the Diamond Leagues this year but I've just raced a lot of times, a lot of 1500ms. "I've a few more Diamond Leagues coming up so it just seemed like a good opportunity and I'm just lucky I am able to come and do it at home. Normally, running an 800 brings me on a lot in the 1500m." Sophie O'Sullivan, is also entered in the two-lap race, along with the event she is qualified in for Tokyo, the 1500m. O'Sullivan and Healy have only raced twice in their careers and the record currently stands at one each. The former has a marginally quicker personal best of 2:00.61, set this year which could make for a scintillating two minutes of action on Sunday. Jenna Bromell from Emerald AC, who has been knocking on the door of the two-minute barrier, could be Healy's main challenger, along with Maeve O'Neill and Alex O'Neill who both have personal bests well under 2:03. Hannah Seagrave makes her debut at an Irish national championship in the Clonliffe colours. She won a bronze medal with Great Britain at the European U23 Championships in 2017 and broke two minutes for the first time last year. Seagrave has begun the process of transferring allegiance to Ireland through World aAhletics but is waiting on approval from the global governing body. A notable omission from the entries this year, is seven-time national champion Louise Shanahan who hasn't missed an outdoor nationals since 2020, but the field in the women's 800m is undoubtedly the strongest since the 2021 season. Men's 800m Mark English looks well on his way to 18th national title. The five-time European medallist hasn't been beaten at a national championship since 2013, when he entered the 400m, and has broken his own national record twice this year already. The event he will choose isn't clear cut, as English is listed for both the 400m and 800m. In the two-lap race there could be pressure from Cian McPhillips who has recovered from injury to be among those that have the automatic mark for Tokyo, running 1:44.19 at the Morton games earlier this month. McPhillips and English have a gap on the rest of the field but one to watch is Carrickfergus-born Andrew Thompson, who like Seagrave is running in his first Irish National Championships. Thompson has had an unusual journey to the track, from essentially a fun runner, to becoming a 1:46 800m runner in the span of two years. The 25-year-old ran his first ever track race last year after being spotted by an athletics coach in his local park, and a medal at these championships would round off his impressive initial step into competitive running. Men's 100m The fastest race of the championship once again promises to bring a host of in-form athletes head-to-head. The 4x100m national record has been broken on two occasions already this year, showing the current depth in men's sprinting in Ireland. Israel Olatunde will be eyeing his fifth-straight outdoor championship title and will want to re-affirm his sprint crown having missed out on the indoor title earlier this year to the ever-improving Bori Akinola. Last year's battle between the two was one to remember, with Olatunde just edging Akinola by 0.02 of a second. Olatunde does have the edge in the 100m event this season, having run 10.23 to Akinola's 10.25. Others to watch include last year's bronze medallist Sean Agiboboh and Michael Farrelly who have both played a role in the record-breaking 4x100m squad this year. Women's 200m If Mawdsley opts for the 200m there is the possibility of a rare match-up with 100m hurdle record holder Sarah Lavin on Saturday afternoon. Lavin usually goes for a 100m, 100m hurdle double but is entered in the 200m as well, which is more favourable with this year's timetable. Lauren Roy is fresh from the World University Championships where she made the semi-finals and will be hoping to return to the podium at a national championship for the first time since 2022. The Antrim-born athlete has been in fine form this year taking 0.27 of a second off her previous best this season. With three of the top four in this year's Irish rankings entered the women's 200m could be an exciting watch on the first day of the championship. Field events The field events can't be missed with Nicola Tuthill the headline acts away from the track action. Tuthill has claimed two silver medals in the space of ten days at the European U23 Championships and the University Games and, like O'Connor, depending on how well recovery has gone, will cap off an impressive few weeks at the national championships. On the men's side Eric Favours will be searching for the B standard set by Athletics Ireland of 20.40m in the men's shotput. The Paris Olympian is just inside the quota, but will need to find another 20 centimetres to be considered for selection for the World Championships. Watch the National Athletics Championships on Saturday from 5pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player.
