The 59th edition of Cork City Sports produced an afternoon of superb athletics at the newly re-vamped Cork Institute of Technology stadium. Weather conditions were summer like with a strong wind failing to make any impact on the great competition.
From the first event, the women’s hammer, there was plenty to enthuse about. The hammer was spectacular with German Kathrin Klaas winning a close contest. She fouled her first three throws but then got off the mark with a throw of 69.84m in the fourth round to put her into second place behind Zalina Marghiev from Moldova who opened with 70.14. Klaas had her winning throw in the fifth round when she threw 71.06m to win the competition.
Paul Hession (Athenry AC) entered the straight level with his rivals in the 200m. From there to the finish there was a terrific tussle to cross the line level with Brendan Christian from Antigua. They were both given the same time of 21.07 and the camera failed to separate them so a dead-heat was given. There was a -6.1 wind reading for this race.
Canadian Priscilla Lopes Schliep, silver medallist at the World championships last year, was a convincing winner of the 100m hurdles in 13.21 (-4.5w) from Kellie Wells from USA in 13.32, with Leevale’s Derval O’Rourke third in 13.40, happy to be competing after a rather traumatic week.
West Waterford Athletic club had a lot to shout about in the 3,000m walk with two outstanding performances. Luke Adams from Australia won the event in 10:59.04 after breaking away from Jamie Costin early on. Costin’s second place finish was significant because his time of 11:12.02 broke Robert Heffernan’s record (11:14.09) set at the same meet last year. Olive Loughnane (Loughrea AC) won the women’s section in 12:51.06, just ahead of Kate Veale whose time of 12:58.60 smashed Ann Loughnane’s 2004 time of 13:45.89 to continue her amazing progress in the walks.
Mark Christie (Mullingar Harriers) took over the lead with 600m to go in the men’s 3,000m, but was swallowed up in the home straight by Australian Ben St. Laurence who won in 8:02.42 from Craig Miller (USA) 8:02.89, Mark draper (GBR) 8:04.22 and Christie fourth in 8:05.34.
Ailis McSweeney (Leevale AC) continued her good recent form to finish second in 11.84 to Sheri Ann Brooks (Jamaica) who won in 11.61. The men’s 100m went to Canadian Jared Connaughton in 10.55 from Kim Collins (St. Kitts and Nevis) in 10.63 and Brendan Christian (Antigua) 10.65.
Two Americans fought out a great finish to the women’s 400m with Moushaumi Robinson winning in 52.61 from Monica Hargrove 52.66.
Erison Hurtault (Dominican Republic) was a clear winner of the men’s 400m in 45.94 with Gordon Kennedy (Tullamore Harriers) best of the Irish in fourth in 47.14, one place ahead of Brian Gregan (Clonliffe Harriers) 47.20 and David McCarthy (Le Cheile AC)57.26.
The women’s 1,500m saw American Erin Donohue finish strongly to win in a time of 4:13.32 ahead of Rose Anne Galligan (Newbridge AC) 4:14.69 and Amy Mortimer (USA) 4:15.38. The men’s 1,500m saw the field bunched together for much of the distance before an all out sprint in the home straight saw Shaun Moralee (GBR) just edge home in one of the closest finishes of the day – six runners stretched across the track with just hundredths separating them. David McCarthy (West Waterford AC) was best of the Irish in 6th in 3:42.24.
David Donegan (Clonliffe Harriers) won the men’s pole vault after a clearance of 5.00m, which equalled Alan Burke’s 1989 Irish record. Ben Gregory (GBR) was second after clearing the same height.
Chris Tomlinson (GBR) won the men’s long jump with a best of 7.86m from JJ Jegede (GBR) 7.