DEFENDING CHAMPIONS & RECORD BREAKERS SET FOR ATHLONE TEST
The national athletics schedule returns to the TUS International Arena in Athlone this weekend (January 13th) for the 123.ie National Masters Indoor Championships.
A host of familiar names including recent world record breaker Shane Healy are set to return to indoor championship action across the busy schedule which gets up and running from 10am on Saturday.
Healy (Metro St Brigids) smashed Guenther Hasselmann’s O55 3000m world indoor mark of 8:58.7 set 44 years ago with a brilliant 8:47.71 in Dublin last weekend. The MSB athlete will drop down in distance on Saturday as he takes to the 800m.
Dundrum’s Avril Dillon (DSD) set a world record of her own last year, clocking a blistering 8.68 over the 60m hurdles back in March. Dillon returns to defend her 60m hurdles O40 title while also taking to the blocks in the 60m and 200m.
Gemma Thompson of City of Derry Spartans will be another of the sprinters to keep a close eye on in the O35 60m and 200m.
Paul Broderick (SLOT) will be looking to defend his double gold from indoors last year having taken the O35 200m in 23.97 as well as the 60m in 7.41.
2023 Masters Athlete of the Year, Annette Quaid (Leevale AC), will look to pick up where she left off last season as she looks to defend her indoor 200m and 400m titles which she won so impressively in 2023.
Rory Chesser looks set to go in the 3,000m for Ennis Track, while Kieran Kelly (Raheny Shamrock) M35 is sure to be a tough nut to crack in the 1500m and 3000m.
Joe Gough (West Waterford AC) O70 will be on the medal hunt once more with the Waterford record breaker entered in 800m.
Michelle O’Mahoney O60 from Kilmurray Ibrickane North Clare is sure to go well in the 1500m as she looks to add to her masters medal collection.
David Kidd (SLOT) M40 was the star performer in the walks events last year, crossing the indoor 3000m distance in 14.09.20 to take the gold medal back to Carlow. Another bold showing can be expected.
Olga Nedvede (Dooneen AC) and John Dwyer (Templemore AC) will look to dominate the throws events once more with both athletes looking to claim the shot put and WFT distance titles.
The evergreen Pat Naughton O90 from Nenagh Olympic also returns for a busy day of competition as he looks to add to his nearly 400-masters-medals. He’ll take to the 60m, long jump, and shot put.