from Cork City sports Major highlight of this year’s Cork City Sports was an outstanding sprint double by the multiple Irish record holder, Paul Hession, who defeated leading Jamaican and United States opposition to the delight of vocal home spectators. Not surprising the Athenry medical student collected the American Trophy for the outstanding athlete of the meeting. Hession 10.21 powered clear of Dwight Thomas 10.27, Jordan Vaden 10.28 over100m before clocking 20.68 to eclipse another strong field over 200m with Chris Williams, Jamaica, 20.93 and Vaden 20.99 in his wake.
Though not winning, impressive second place performances over the 100m.hurdles by Derval O’Rourke behind Andrea Bliss (Jamaica) 12.96 but ahead of arch rival Aurelia Trywianska (Poland) and Alistair Cragg who just failed to catch Kenya’s Bernard Kiptum 3.38.70 in a pulsating finish to the 1500m with a mere second covering the first five finishers. Cragg returned to the track less than an hour later to chase another Kenyan, Mike Kigen, home in 7:49.50 over 3000m.
Laverne Jones-Ferrette (U.S. Virgin Islands) recorded an impresssive sprint double also in 11.35 and 22.79 with Aliann Pompey (Guyana) winning the 400m.in a stylish 51.52. Amy Mortimer (USA) broke new ground with a p.b.victory over 3000m in 8:55.72.
Irish champion Kelly Proper jumped further than ever before, 6.46m, to take second spot behind Teresa Dobiya (Poland) 6.56m but ahead of Tabia Charles (Canada), Rose Richmond and Brianna Glenn (USA).
A new Meeting record was set by the holder, Jamie Nieto(USA) 2.30m. to delete the great Hollis Conway from the record books. Conway’s 2.28m jump from 1985 is finally broken. Nieto so finally achieved the Olympic “A” standard jump something he failed to do when finishing runner-up in the U.S. Trials a week earlier in Eugene. Olympic bronze medallist Jaroslav Baba 2.20m was second.
Other smiling athletes in Cork were Denise Hinrichs (Germany) who achieved the Olympic stardard when she threw 18.35m to win the womens shot and the impressive Makelesi Batimala (Fiji) who attained the Olympic qualification over the 200m. with 23.23 sec.having already qualified for the 400m.
Many home athlete achieved life time best performances in addition to Kelly Proper including Mark Hanrahan and David McCarthy (3000m), Eoin Everard and Ciaran O’Lionaird (1500m), Chris Crowley (L.J.).
All in all, a brilliant afternoon of international athletics.
Results : https://www.corkcitysports.ie/corkcitysports/Main/Results.htm
