Nolan exorcises his demons to claim first outdoor senior national title

Adam Nolan exorcised his demons from last year’s National Championships to claim his first outdoor senior national title in Santry today in the 110m hurdles on the second day of the 123.ie National Senior Track & Field Championships.

The St Laurence O’Toole AC athlete was pulling away from the field on the way to that first outdoor title 12 months ago before clattering the last hurdle, allowing the veteran Ger O’Donnell in for his seventh title.

This time around, he made no mistake.

“I’m delighted with it. Ger took advantage of that last year but that’s the joys of hurdling. Thankfully I was able to hold him off this time, it’s a special moment alright,” said Nolan, who recently represented Ireland at the U23 European Championships.

Nolan admitted that fall 12 months ago was on his mind leading up to the race, and again when O’Donnell was putting him under pressure midway through today’s final.

“I could feel Ger coming up to me in the middle of the race and that fall from last year has been on my mind in the last few weeks, and a few other falls as well,” he said.

In the end, it was something of a changing of the guard as Nolan got the better of the Leitrim hurdler who has been the standard bearer for the discipline in Ireland in recent times. Nolan said that winning the title wouldn’t have felt the same if O’Donnell wasn’t in the field.

“I was looking at the entries throughout the week and Ger hadn’t entered at that stage. I wouldn’t like to take the title without Ger being here, I’d like to prove myself,” he said.

It was a great day for Irish athletics with a bumper crowd turning out on the second day of the Championships.

“You definitely feel it, it’s a great atmosphere. The turnout is amazing. Down at the start line looking up at the hill, it’s a bit nerve racking but it’s lovely,” he said.

Nolan’s gold was one of two for the St Laurence O’Toole club on the day as Matthew Callinan Keenan jumped to his third outdoor national title in four years.

By his own high standards, Callinan Keenan has had a slightly disappointing season but he bounced back to form in some style with a jump of 4.80m, just shy of his personal best, enough to take gold. With gold secured, he had two attempts at the magical five metre mark and although unsuccessful, that height is very much on his radar.

There was a third medal on the day for the club when Molly Scott took home silver in the 100m hurdles. Sarah Lavin created history by taking her tenth national senior title to become the most decorated female hurlder of the championships but Scott was the first to follow her home.