Sun soaked 71st Cork City Sports a resounding success as big names shine bright

The sunny weather, the brilliant event, the exceptional track and field athletes – it all made the 71st edition of the Cork City Sports at the MTU Athletics Stadium an incredible event on Wednesday night.

Those in attendance were treated to plenty of action across the different competitions, and home favourites Phil Healy, Israel Olatunde, and Reece Ademola all came away with medals.

Healy’s first race – the 100m women’s sprint – was won by Britain’s Mabel Akande with a time of 11.36, 0.11 seconds ahead of Cecillia Tamayo-Garza of Mexico, while Ciara Neville was three hundredths of a second behind her in third, the highest-placed Irish competitor. Hometown hero Phil Healy finished seventh, with a time of 11.77.

Healy had more joy in the Women’s 200m race, though, finishing third with a time of 24.05, while Tamayo-Garza took the win with a time of 23.37, and Nigeria’s Knowledge Omovoh finished second.

Irish record holder Olatunde was narrowly edged out in the men’s 100m sprint by American sprinter Coby Hilton, who won race 2 with a time of 10.30, six hundredths ahead of Olatunde, who was second, with Ian Kerr another six hundredths back in third. Colin Doyle was the winner in the other men’s 100m race, with a time of 10.53.

Cork’s Reece Ademola finished third in the men’s long jump with a best jump of 7.82 metres, while Stephen Mackenzie’s 7.89 metre jump ensured first, 0.01 metres ahead of Alessandro Schenni in second.

Bandon native Nicola Tuthill was the winner in the Women’s Hammer with a throw of 70.65 metres, over two metres clear of Norwegian Llano Beatrice in second, and Finn Koskinen Suvi in third.

The 3000m Women’s race was won by Megan Keith, the Briton finishing with an incredible time of 8:38.37 to beat Sonia O’Sullivan’s record, while Niamh Allen came home fifth with 8:51.08. In the 3000m men’s race, Briton Henry Mcluckie beat his own personal best by over five seconds to post a 7:36.81, edging out Uruguayan Valentin Soca and Australian Jackson Sharp, who finished second and third respectively.

Abigail Pawlett posted an impressive time of 13.09 seconds to win the Women’s 100m Hurdle race, while Carlow native Molly Scott came home fourth with a time of 13.55.

The Women’s 800m was won by Hannah Segrave, whose time of 2:02.30 left her seven tenths ahead of Grace Vans Agnew in second, while Cork native Maeve O’Neill finished third, with a time of 2:03.17.

In the Men’s 800m race, Henry Jonas set a new meet record with a time of 1:45.25, as he narrowly beat Irishmen Cian McPhillips and Cathal Doyle, who took silver and bronze.

The one mile men’s race was won in style by Marco Langon, the American finishing first with a time of 3:54.59.

Victory in race 2 of the men’s 200m went to Demarius Smith of the US, with a time of 20.43, while in race 1, the win was secured by Australian Joseph Ayoade, with his time of 21.27 seconds a tenth quicker than Adam Gemili in second. Colin Doyle completed the podium with a time of 21.40.

Meabh Corkery won the women’s pole vault, while Emmanuel Osas took home first in the men’s high jump, with Australian Annie Stapleton winning the women’s high jump.

The winner of the men’s shot putt event was New Zealander Nick Palmer, whose 19.91m effort beat Irishman Eric Favors, who finished in second with a distance of 19.81m. Conor Callinan of Leevale AC took gold in the men’s pole vault with a height of 4.92m.

Hannah Cockroft was outstanding in her victory in the 800m T54 wheelchair race, with the nine-time British Paralympic champion almost five seconds quicker than Irishwoman Shauna Bocquet, who finished second.

Victory in the 100m men’s ambulant was claimed by Cathal Ryan of West Muskerry AC, while the 100m Special Olympics race was won by Paul Colgan, Muskerry Special Olympics Club.

Leevale AC’s Daniel Buckley took the win in the 3000m open men’s race, with a time of 8:26.51 ahead of Eoin Smyth, while Cork City AC’s Ben Leen Smith fell just back in the closing stages to finish third.

In the 600m under-13 girls and boys races, it was Aisling Groarke, Midleton AC, who came out on top in the former, while Ronan Geaney from St Catherine’s AC won the boys’ race.

The 1500m junior men’s race was won by Odhran O’Sullivan from Midleton AC with a time of 3:58.17, while Ryan McCarthy from Leevale AC was just nine tenths behind in second.

Ennis Track Club secured a one-two finish in the 800m junior women’s event, with Faye Mannion leading Holly O’Boyle to the line, while Caoimhe Flannery of Skibbereen AC came home third.