Orla Comerford posts personal best to win para 100m at Bislett Games in Oslo
Orla Comerford clocked a lifetime best of 11.87 to win the para women's 100m at the Bislett Games in Oslo on Wednesday.
The victory in the Norweigan capital continues the Dubliner's positive start to the season, following her win at the FBK Games in the Netherlands on Monday, which saw her post 11.96 for the 100m.
That time was eclipsed by the Paralympic bronze medallist in Oslo when running into a slight headwind of 0.7m/s.
The Bislett Games is one of the meets that incorporates para athletics, with Comerford no doubt keen to compete in more ahead of September's World Para Athletics Championships in New Delhi.
Thursday will see Rhasidat Adeleke and Mark English in action at the Oslo Diamond League.
On Monday last, English became the first Irishman to break 1:44 in the 800m, lowering his own Irish record for the second time in 11 days with his run of 1:43.92 at the FBK Games.
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Irish Examiner
2 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Adeleke 'working on something different' as she finishes fourth in first 400m of the year
With three months left until the World Championships in Tokyo, Rhasidat Adeleke was always unlikely to shoot the lights out in her first 400m race of the year. And so it proved at the Oslo Diamond League on Thursday evening, the Dubliner clocking 50.42 to finish fourth, well down on her Irish record of 49.07. It was Adeleke's first race at her specialist distance since last September, having raced over 200m earlier this season along with a couple of 4x400m legs at last month's World Relays in China. Drawn in lane six, she got off to a steady start but began to move through the field after halfway, challenging for second as she came off the final bend. But as it was in some key races last year, Adeleke tied up slightly over the final 50 metres, fading to fourth, with USA's Isabella Whittaker taking victory in 49.58 ahead of Norway's Henriette Jaeger (49.62) and Britain's Amber Anning (50.24). Dutch athlete Lieke Klaver was just behind Adeleke in 50.64, with Olympic bronze medallist and European champion Natalia Bukowiecka sixth in 50.67. 'It's my first 400, I'm trying to adjust in terms of that,' said Adeleke. 'Me and my coach have been working on something different so we're just trying to get going, get the season going. The main goal is September so we're working towards that. Adeleke will be back in action over 400m at the Stockholm Diamond League on Sunday. 'I'll build on this race,' she said. 'Each race I'm building up to make it to where I need to be.' Mark English was also in action in Oslo, the 32-year-old coming home seventh in the 800m, clocking 1:44.33. English, who broke the Irish 800m record on Monday night with 1:43.92 in Hengelo, was on track shortly after for a loaded 800m race that featured four Olympic finalists, and two medallists, from the Paris Games. He kept contact with the field for much of the race but didn't have the gears to go with the world's best over the last 200m, the Donegal athlete finishing seventh in the second fastest time of his career, 1:44.33. The race was won by Olympic champion Emmanuel Wanyonyi of Kenya in 1:42.78. 'I would have liked a bit quicker,' said English. 'But it's a lot of races in a short space of time so that's probably the reason I wasn't able to run 1:43 today. It's hard to do it in every race.' Meanwhile Grand Slam Track, the upstart league co-founded by Michael Johnson, has cancelled its fourth and final meeting of the 2025 season. Johnson called an emergency meeting with athletes and managers on Thursday night to inform them that the final event in Los Angeles on 28-29 June will not go ahead. It's understood the chief reason for the cancellation is financial, with organisers keen to avoid further losses after the league struggled to attract big attendances and TV viewing figures for its first three events. Its inaugural meeting in Kingston, Jamaica played out in front of mostly empty stands, while things improved at the second meeting in Miami and were better again at the third meeting in Philadelphia, where around 30,000 tickets were sold across the two-day event. Organisers plan to return for a second season in 2026 and are expected to announce new investors and partners in the coming weeks. Grand Slam Track said it would award over $12 million in prize money during its first season, with Johnson securing $30 million in investment to get the league off the ground. First-placed prize money stood at $100,000 in each category, with $50,000 for second and $10,000 for eighth. Andrew Coscoran and Sharlene Mawdsley both featured in its first season, with Coscoran earning $50,000 for his runner-up finish in the long-distance category in Miami and $12,500 for his fourth-place finish over 3000m in Philadelphia. Mawdsley earned $15,000 for her sixth-place finish in the long sprints category at the latter event. Elsewhere, Athletics Ireland has announced a 46-strong Irish team for the European Athletics Team Championships, which take place in Maribor, Slovenia on 28-29 June. Ireland will contest the second division against 15 other nations, with the top three teams promoted to the first division and the bottom three relegated. Mawdsley is among the star names on the team alongside fellow Olympians such as Sarah Lavin, Sophie Becker, Cillín Greene, Brian Fay, Eric Favors, Sophie O'Sullivan and Nicola Tuthill. Irish Team: European Team Championships Women: Lucy-May Sleeman (100m, 4x100m), Lauren Roy (200m, 4x100m), Sophie Becker (400m, mixed 4x400m), Sophie O'Sullivan (800m), Laura Nicholson (1500m), Róisín Flanagan (5000m), Sarah Lavin (100m hurdles, 4x100m), Arlene Crossan (400m hurdles, mixed 4x400m), Ava O'Connor (3000m steeplechase), Elizabeth Ndudi (long jump), Saragh Buggy (triple jump), Aoife O'Sullivan (high jump), Clodagh Walsh (pole vault), Michaela Walsh (shot put), Niamh Fogarty (discus), Nicola Tuthill (discus), Grace Casey (javelin), Ciara Neville (4x100m), Sarah Leahy (4x100m), Aisling Kelly (4x100m reserve), Sharlene Mawdsley (mixed 4x400m), Cliodhna Manning (mixed 4x400m), Rachel McCann (mixed 4x400m reserve). Men: Bori Akinola (100m, 4x100m), Andrew Egan (200m, 4x100m), Cillín Greene (400m, mixed 4x400m), Cian McPhillips (800m), Shane Bracken (1500m), Brian Fay (5000m), Adam Nolan (110m hurdles), Fintan Dewhirst (400m hurdles), Finley Daly (3000m steeplechase), Shane Howard (long jump), Michael Alajiki (triple jump), David Cussen (high jump), Conor Callinan (pole vault), Eric Favors (shot put), Eoin Sheridan (discus), Sean Mockler (hammer), Conor Cusack (javelin), Michael Farrelly (4x100m), Sean Aigboboh (4x100m), Marcus Lawler (4x100m), Ciaran Carthy (mixed 4x400m), Calllum Baird (mixed 4x400m).
The Irish Sun
3 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Rhasidat Adeleke opens season with solid display in stacked 400m Oslo Diamond League race
RHASIDAT Adeleke opened her outdoor 400m season with a fourth-place finish at the Oslo Diamond League on Thursday evening. 2 Rhasidat Adeleke made a solid return with a fourth-place finish in Oslo 2 The Dubliner was now heads to Sweden in the next as she'll look to improve with a podium push Tallaght native Adeleke clocked 50.42 seconds in the stacked Norway field. Adeleke narrowly missed out on a podium spot in the fiercely competitive sprint as Isabella Whittaker stormed to victory in 49.58 second. The American finished just ahead of Norway's Henriette Jaeger, who set a national record of 49.62. World Indoor champion Amber Anning also pipped Adeleke to the line to take third. read more on athletics The race produced plenty of drama as Whittaker reeled in Jaeger in the closing stages to snatch the win. Dutch athlete Lieke Klaver followed Adeleke in 50.64, while Poland's Natalia Kaczmarek (nee Bukowiecka) came sixth. The Pole edged Adeleke for European gold in Rome last year, and claimed Olympic bronze in Paris. 22-year-old Adeleke skipped the indoor season, and now heads to Stockholm for her next outing on Sunday. Most read in Athletics Usain Bolt names world record holder among three stars he was gutted not to race against
The 42
6 hours ago
- The 42
Rovers striker Burke and Treaty teenager McGuane named Players of the Month
SHAMROCK ROVERS STRIKER Graham Burke and Treaty United teenager Madison McGuane have won the League of Ireland Player of the Month awards for May. Burke was named SSE Airtricity/Soccer Writers Ireland Player of the Month, having been instrumental in Rovers' charge back to the top of the table. The Dubliner scored four goals and provided two assists in seven appearances across the month of May, beating Drogheda United's Conor Keeley and Tommy Lonergan of Waterford FC to the prize. 'I haven't won this award for a long time (2018), but having said that, I am delighted to have won it for the month of May,' said Burke. 'I think it's just the third time I have won the soccer writers award and the last time was back in 2018 when I was capped at international level. Advertisement 'Our form at Rovers has been excellent – one defeat in nine and just three setbacks in all – we just go out and try to do what we do best. We know as a group what we are capable of and we have a system we play that works well for us. 'The three defeats came early on at the start of the league campaign and off the back of a short pre-season and it took us a few weeks to get up to speed. We have been on a good run lately and we want to keep that going for a long as we can. The team have been performing well week in, week out and it's not just down to me.' Madison McGuane with her award. Piaras Ó Mídheach / SPORTSFILE Piaras Ó Mídheach / SPORTSFILE / SPORTSFILE McGuane, meanwhile, becomes the first Treaty United player to win the SSE Airtricity Women's Premier Division Player of the Month award. The Ireland Girls' U16 captain has excelled in her debut season at senior level, scoring twice from the penalty spot in May. The Limerick midfielder was selected for the accolade ahead of Shelbourne's Mackenzie Anthony and Wexford's Ellen Molloy. 'Madison has been excellent since the start of the season,' said Treaty United manager Sean Russell. 'She's shown that she is more than capable of making the step up to senior level. 'For such a young player, she plays with great maturity. Her attitude matches her ability and I have no doubt she will continue to develop and get better.' McGuane was named Women's U17 Player of the Year at the FAI International Awards last week, while she recently captained the Ireland U16s at the Uefa Development Tournament in Finland.
