A: Grange, Mullingar, Co. Westmeath, Ireland | E: info@mullingarharriers.com

AIT International Grand Prix 2018 (21st Feb)

 

 

The capacity crowd for the AIT International Grand Prix on Wednesday evening 21st February was treated to an action-packed evening of World-class athletics, helped by some tremendous performances by some of the Irish athletes taking part.

The highlight of the evening from an Irish perspective was John Travers (Donore Harriers) creating history by becoming the first Irishman to run a sub-four minute mile indoors on Irish soil, clocking 3:59.40 to take third behind winner Ryan Gregson of Australia (3:57.86) and Poland’s Grzegorz Kalinowski (3:59.19). Other highlights were Ryan Shields (Jamaica) setting a new stadium record of 6.63 seconds in the 60m final and one to please the home crowd was an impressive 46.94 seconds by Thomas Barr (Ferrybank) to win the 400m.

Running in the AIT colours, Vicky Harris was up against some top class International and domestic opposition in her heat of the 60m sprint, including Naomi Sedney (Netherlands), Tahesia Harrigan-Scott (British Virgin Islands), Joan Healy (Bandon AC) and the Irish indoor Champion over 200m, Niamh Whelan (Ferrybank). Even though it was only a heat, Sedney won in an impressive 7.31 seconds, which is just outside the qualifying standard for the World Indoor Championships. Undaunted by the class of the opposition and relishing the opportunity to compete alongside such competition, Vicky finished in 7.81 seconds, not far off her best for the distance and even though she did not advance to the final, was delighted to be part of such an event, the fifth year in succession that she has been invited to compete in the Grand Prix.