European Athletics (EAA) – News – Hession secures Daegu standard at the Irish nationals in Santry

Paul Hession produced the performance of the Irish national championships winning the 200m in 20.51 and in the process achieved the A qualification standard for both the 2011 IAAF World Championships in Daegu and the 2012 London Olympic Games, in Santry on Sunday.

He was pushed all the way by European under-23 finalist Steven Colvert who was second in 20.84.

Amy Foster completed the sprint double winning the 200m in 23.74 and the 100m in 11.69. Double Para-Olympian Jason Symth won the 100m in 10.52.

2010 European championships silver medallist Derval O’Rourke secured her ninth national title running 13.24 in the 100m hurdles.

Joanne Cuddihy won the 400m in a seasonal best of 52.15 which is the B qualification for Daegu 2011. Thomas Barr produced a championships best performance in the men’s 400m hurdles of 50.06. The talented 19-year-old also set a new junior and U23 record and ran the second fastest time ever by an Irish athlete.

Walking prodigy Kate Veale produced another stunning performance on day one of the championships to take her second senior national 5km walk title in 21.30.18, improving on the 21.45.59 she raced when winning the World Youth championships in Lille in July. This time is a new Irish Youth, Junior and U23 record. Laura Reynolds who has achieved the B standard for Daegu 2011 finished second in 23.22.53.

Siobhan Eviston created a minor upset when she defeated European junior silver medallist Ciara Mageen in the women’s 800m race. Eviston overtook Mageen in the final meters to win in a personal best of 2.06.69, and Mageean who was battling all the way took a tumble over the line to finish second in 2.06.85.

Mageean showed her true grit to come back later in the day to win a highly competitive 1500m in 4.16.36 from Stephanie Reilly in second in 4.16.43 and Fionnuala Britton third in 4.18.03.

In the field events, Claire Fitzgerald produced a terrific performance to win the national discus title in 50.07, the fourth longest of all time and the longest by an Irish athlete in 19 years.

European Athletics (EAA)