Team Ireland soar to new heights at World Indoor Masters Athletics in Poland
A total of 135 Irish Masters athletes descended on Torun Poland for the 9th World Indoor Masters Athletics Championships held from 26th March to 1st April 2023
This was the largest ever Irish Masters team to attend an International event, clear evidence of the growing popularity of athletics amongst older athletes.
Team Ireland recorded its’ best ever performance at a World Championships winning a total of 75 medals – 28 Gold, 23 Silver and 24 Bronze. This placed Ireland 7th overall on the Medal Table out of 88 countries – the highest ever position achieved at a World Championship (and ahead of France and other much larger countries).
There were many outstanding performances amongst the large contingent of Irish athletes who ranged in age from 35 to 84. Some of the more notable achievements were:
Pauline Moran W65 (Mayo AC) - 4 Gold medals and 1 Silver medal – she won Gold in the 6k Cross-Country and Team Gold in this event also, Gold in 3000m and 10k and Silver in the Half Marathon. Pauline then went above and beyond for Team Ireland stepping well outside her comfort zone by running a leg of the 4x200m Sprint Relay for the Mixed Relay age 65 and this just hours after her half-marathon!
Zoe Quinn W45 (Raheny) – 3 Gold medals in 8k Cross- Country and Team Gold in same event and Gold in 10k also.
Annette Quaid W45 (Leevale AC) - 2 Gold Medals in 400m and 800m and Silver in 200m.
Rachel Akers Griffin W35 (Ennis Track) – 2 Golds in Hammer and Weight Throw
Joe Gough M70 (West Waterford) – 2 Golds in 800m and 1500m.
Ann Woodlock W80 (Donore Harriers) – 1 Gold and 1 Silver in the 3000m and 1500m respectively. Ann was the eldest member of the Irish team at 84 yrs of age and is already looking forward to moving up an age category shortly and competing at the next championships.
Edel Maguire W60 (Clonliffe Harriers) – Gold in the High Jump, Silver in the 400m and Bronze in the 4x200m relay (she dropped down an age category to compete with the W55 team) – a full set!
Avril Dillon W40 (DSD) – Gold in 60m in 7.81 secs (ran 7.70 secs in semi-final). Avril was very unlucky not to add another Gold in her favoured event the 60m Hurdles as she was the clear favourite coming into the event but got injured in the final minutes of her warm-up.
Full list of Irish Medal winners - 75 medals
Gold (28)
W40 60m Avril Dillon (DSD AC)
W45 400m Annette Quaid (Leevale AC)
W45 800m Annette Quaid (Leevale AC)
W45 1500m Mary Leech (Drogheda & District)
W80 3000m Ann Woodlock (Donore)
W65 3000m Pauline Moran (Mayo AC)
W60 High Jump Edel Maguire (Clonliffe Harriers)
W35 Weight Throw Rachel Akers (Ennis Track)
W35 Hammer Rachel Akers (Ennis Track)
W65 6km Cross-Country Pauline Moran (Mayo AC)
W60 6km Cross-Country Kay Byrne (Finn Valley)
W55 8km Cross-Country Annette Kealy (Raheny Shamrock AC)
W45 8km Cross-Country Zoe Quinn (Raheny Shamrock AC)
W60 6km Cross-Country Team (Pauline Moran, Kay Byrne, Nuala Reilly)
W50 8km Cross-Country Team (Annette Kealy, Yasmin Canning, Mari Johnston)
W45 8k Cross-Country Team (Zoe Quinn, Catherine O'Connor, Annemarie Kenny)
W40 8km Cross-Country Team (Fiona Gettings, Michelle Kenny, Michelle Cox)
W45 10km Zoe Quinn (Raheny)
W65 10km Pauline Moran (Mayo AC)
W50 Half Marathon Cathy McCourt (North Belfast)
W60 Half Marathon Mary Slocum (Ward Park)
M35 800m Joe Warne (Doheny AC)
M70 800m Joe Gough (West Waterford AC)
M70 1500m Joe Gough (West Waterford AC)
M35 3000m Eoin Everard (Kilkenny City Harriers)
M65 8m Cross Country Team (Tommy Payne, Eugene Moynihan, William Tyrell)
M50 10km Declan Toal
W45 Half Marathon Team (Cathy McCourt, Breda Gaffney, Catherine O’Connor)
Silver (23)
W45 200m Annette Quaid (Leevale AC)
W60 400m Edel Maguire (Clonliffe Herriers)
W45 800m Maria Dunne (St Laurence O’Tooles
W55 3000m Annette Kealy (Raheny)
W55 8km Cross-Country Mari Johnston (Sligo AC)
W45 8km Cross-Country Catherine O'Connor (Wicklow)
W40 8km Cross-Country Fiona Gettings (Longford AC)
W35 8km Cross-Country Edel Gaffney (Trim AC)
W65 6k Cross Country Team (Pauline Moran, Noreen Bonner, Nuala Reilly)
W65 Half Marathon (Pauline Moran, Noreen Bonner, Nuala Reilly)
W50 10km Cathy McCourt (North Belfast)
W60 10km Mary Slocum (Ward Park)
W45 Half Marathon Catherine O’Connor (Wicklow)
W60 Half Marathon Irene Clements (Clones AC)
W65 Half Marathon Pauline Moran (Mayo AC)
W50 10k Race Walk Sinead McConnell (Finn Valley)
M35 Hammer John Dwyer (Templemore)
M75 3km Walk Sean McMullin (Mullingar Harriers)
M65 8km Cross-Country Tommy Payne (Tinryland AC)
M60 8km Cross-Country Team (Pat O'Grady, Philip O'Doherty, Tom O'Connor)
M55 8k Cross-Country Team (Pat Malone, Francis Marsh, Dominic Horan)
M60 Half Marathon Patrick O’Grady (Drogheda & District)
X55 4x200m (David Hayde, Shane Sheridan, Moira Groome, Carol Kearney) 1:50.62
Bronze (24)
W80 Ann Woodlock 1500m
W55 400m Carol Kearney (Lucan Harriers)
W45 1500m Caitriona Devine (Finn Valley)
W50 3000m Michelle Lannon (Carrick AC)
W45 3000m Mary Leech (Drogheda & District)
W50 3000m Walk Sinead McConnell (Finn Valley)
W50 10k Race Walk – Team (Sinead McConnell, Maggie Helen O’Connor and Susanne O’Beirne)
W40 4x200m (Snezana Bechtina, Kathryn McDevitt, Bernadette Spillane, Sinead O’Regan)
W55 4x200m (Edel Maguire, Finola Moore, Moira Groome and Carol Kearney)
W40 8km Cross-Country Michelle Kenny (Leevale)
W50 8km Cross-Country Yasmin Canning (Drogheda & District)
W65 8km Cross-Country Nuala Reilly (Drogheda & District)
W70 6km Cross-Country Eileen Kenny (Athlone)
W35 10km Edel Gaffney (Trim AC)
W60 10km Irene Clements (Clones AC)
M35 Hammer John Dwyer
M75 6km Cross-Country Richard Mullins (St Abbans)
M45 8k Cross-Country Team (Paul Smith, Niall Sheil, Ray Kenny)
M65 10km Tommy Payne (Tinryland AC)
W50 Half Marathon Breda Gaffney
M45 Half Marathon Paul Smith (Drogheda & District)
M50 Half Marathon Team (Pat O’Grady, Stephen Rice, Ian Egan)
M45 Half Marathon Team (Paul Smith, Ronan Donohue, Sean McDermott)
Mixed 45 4x200m Relay (Brian Boyce, Carlton Haddock, Leanne Wellings, Clare Quinn)