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You are > Home > Kerry athletes impress in Glasgow
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Thursday, July 22, 2010
Kerry athletes impress in Glasgow
THE SIAB International at Scotsoun, Glasgow, was marred by gale-force winds on Saturday where six Kerry athletes made up the ranks of the Irish team for the annual quadrangular match between the schools associations of the home countries.
For many this would be their first taste of international competitions and with only the final events of the national championships next weekend it nicely rounds off the athletics season.
Though none of Kerry’s athletes brought home a medal, they all ranked highly in a competition which is generally dominated by the much-better funded English team.
Quite often these trips serve as an indication of just how far behind our neighbours Ireland is in the coaching and sporting infrastructure stakes.
This was especially marked in that all Kerry’s athletes were competing in the highly technical jumps and throws events and though progress has been made in recent years, Ireland is still playing a catch-up game.
Eoin O’Carroll was one of the select few athletes chosen to compete in two events at these championships, producing an excellent jump of 6.64m to place just outside the medals in fourth.
It was a desperately tight finish as 6.61m finished in fifth and he was kept off the podium by only four centimetres, 6.68m taking bronze.
O’Carroll was slightly back from his best in the triple with 12.84m the professionalism of the English and Scottish athletes showed with the first two medals contested at over 14.50m.
As yet in Ireland there are only a handful of amateur triple jump coaches and Eoin O’Carroll has made tremendous progress in the past year with only limited help.
His fourth place in the long jump was equalled by Jonathon Foley whose 3.70m jump was a 10cm improvement, in poor conditions, from his jump at the Tailteann qualifiers a few weeks back.
Mairead O’Neill had a solid throw in the girls’ hammer of 39.45m, only slightly back on her recent throws. Hannah O’Sullivan also threw well in the discus with 32.95m.
PJ Galvin showed his consistency regardless of conditions with a 1.75m and Una Marley produced a 2.50m jump in the pole vault, only 20cm off of a bronze. But again the ability of coaching and training shone through with England’s top vaulter setting a new record of 3.71m.
Meanwhile, the Kerry men’s and women’s National League teams and the Ríocht men’s team made the long journey to Athlone IT for the second round this weekend.
The Ríocht AC team, competing in Division 1 and still missing a few athletes in key events, competed well all-round and can look forward to getting stronger for an assault on the competition next year.
Both Kerry teams achieved qualification from Division 1 last year and put in very strong performances.
While points were still being totalled as this went to print the Kerry women’s team have, at the first attempt, definitely qualified for the National League final in either third or fourth position.
This is an outstanding achievement considering that many of the teams they will be up against will be anchored by major international athletes, many of whom will be competing in Barcelona shortly.
The men’s team may yet be joining them but the points were too close to call with them fighting for the last spot against North Down.
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