Dara Kervick (Clonliffe Harriers A.C) took the Men’s 400m title in 46.53 seconds at the Senior Indoor Championships in Athlone International Arena, significantly improving on his personal best of 46.80 set in yesterday’s heats which secured the 47.20 qualification standard for European Indoor Athletics Championships which takes place in Prague 6-8 March. This time moves him to eighth the European rankings and fifth in the Irish All-Time best list. Speaking of the race he said: ‘It felt so easy I didn’t think I was going that fast. It was great to do it (time) day after day’ And he credited his coach John Shields and strength coach John Cleary for bringing him to the next level.
Adam McMullen (Crusaders AC) produced a lifetime best for long jump to take the title with 7.80 to hit the standard for the European Indoors and move to second on the all-time list. This improves impressively on his best of 7.48 indoor. He said: ‘I knew coming in to the competition I was in good shape and all I needed to do was execute what I have been doing in practice’
Away from the action in Athlone European 800m Bronze Medallist Mark English (UCD AC) secured the 800m qualification time for European Indoors at the Sainsbury’s Indoor Grand Prix in Birmingham running 1.47.17 for sixth place which was inside the standard (1.48.50). The race was won by Kenya’a Jeremiah Kipkorir Mutai in 1.45.93.
