Two weeks out from the World Championships in London, Mark English, Thomas Barr, Ciara Mageean and Brian Gregan, have been competing in the National Championships Morton Stadium in Santry.
English won the men’s 800m to win in 1:50.89, the overall time itself less relevant than his 25-second last 200m.
“To close like that is the territory you need to be in going to a World Championships,” he said.
“I’ve had an injury all season, then I strained my quad before the London Diamond League so it hasn’t been perfect, but I just have to manage it as best I can. These are the closest to home the World Championships will ever be so I’m looking forward to it.”
Barr took his seventh consecutive 400m hurdles title in 49.79 “For my head it’s important to go under 50 seconds,” said Barr.
“That’s put me in the right territory heading in to the Worlds. I’m still under the radar and people aren’t going to be looking at that thinking it’s great, but I know there’s more there. I can step up to the mark.”
Ciara Mageean won the 800m, in a time of 2:04.06 just ahead of Claire Mooney (2:04.23).
Mageean said “It was a good hard race and I made it harder for myself the way I went out, but I’m happy to have a weekend’s racing in the bag.”
Brian Gregan’s fine form continued in winning the men’s 400m in 45.74, his final race before flying to London.
“I went out aiming to win and to cruise a 45.7 means I’m in better shape than I thought,” he said. “It felt very relaxed.”
Meanwhile, at the European U-20 Championships in Grosseto, Italy, it was a wonderful weekend for the Irish with an additional two medals to add to Gina Akpe-Moses’ 100m gold on Friday.
On Saturday, Swinford’s Michaela Walsh bagged a bronze medal in the women’s hammer with her best effort of 61.27m.
“It’s unreal,” said Walsh. “I’ve never been so nervous to stand in that ring, but at a championships it’s not about distances, it’s about placing.”
Yesterday John Fitzsimons pulled off a huge upset to take bronze in the men’s 800m. The Kildare athlete was ranked 20th, but defied that to finish third in a personal best of 1:48.68.
