Scott and Nolan compete for Ireland
Molly Scott (left) with her Irish National Record setting team mates
It was a busy week in athletics, where along with the domestic competitive action, two Carlow athletes were part of the international experience. At the London Diamond League Molly Scott once more donned the Irish gear as a reserve for the Irish ladies 4x100m relay team. While at the European u23 Championships in Bergen, Norway Adam Nolan competed in the 110m hurdles.
There were many euphoric athletics moments last week. Starting with five medals at the European u23 Championships where Team Ireland produced outstanding performances. For one Carlow athlete Adam Nolan (SLOT) he was immersed in the excitement that filtrated through the Irish camp. Five medals came Team Ireland’s way, re-enforcing the Athletics strength that we are currently experiencing. It can only serve to promulgate the sport’s popularity and provide a positive trajectory for the future. Success is not just the preserve of our traditional middle-distance athletes either. We had two field eventers make the final, with Nicola Tuthill taking silver in the hammer. The balance of the medals very much tilted in favour of the girls, with four medals going their way and just one to a male – the accomplished Nick Griggs in the 5,000m. Anike Thompson was inspiration as she won gold in the 10,000m and bronze in the 5,000m. Her humbling, down-to-earth, pragmatic interview breaking success into just pure hard work and self-belief.
In London at the Diamond League our senior athletes did well. Here too, another Carlow athlete Molly Scott, was immersed in the Irish success, with her relay team taking part in the Diamond League pre-programme. Sarah Healy took third in the mile and moved to number two on the all-time list with a massive 13 second personal best. Mark English and Rashidat Adeleke having good races too. Scott and her Irish 4x100m team set a new National record adding to the day’s success. Add these to the other performances that have been happening at senior and juvenile level over the past week, and you have one amazing week for Irish athletics.
Carlow had one representative in last weeks European u23 Championships. Adam Nolan (SLOT) competed in the 110m Hurdles. Nolan has been on the European championship circuit previously. In 2023 he qualified for the u20 European Championships. He knows what it takes to perform at this level. A hard winter’s training, some good races and he earned his qualification spot for the u23 Europeans in Bergen. Unfortunately for Nolan despite his meticulously planned preparations, he suffered an injury setback. Fortunately, he won the race to prove his fitness and travelled to Bergen last week as one of thirty-six athletes to represent Ireland at the European u23 track and field. His signature event, the 110m hurdles was held on day one. With almost 40 qualifiers, there were five heats and a tight competition to earn the few automatic spots to qualify for the semi-finals.
Drawn in heat 4 against top ranked Theo Pedre (France), Nolan had one of the fastest heats of the competition. It was Pedre who was first to cross the line in 13.63. The calibre of the heat was such that three of the contestants came through the remaining rounds to qualify for the final. Nolan himself was 6th clocking 14.18 seconds and just four hundredths of a second off qualification for the semi-final. The SLOT athlete will now work towards the National Seniors in two weeks’ time.
The affable Molly Scott donned the green vest as a reserve for the 4x100m relay team that competed at the Diamond League pre-programme relay event in London last weekend. With some injury setbacks over the past few years, the SLOT athlete has steadily made progress with some promising results this year alone. Reserves are often called upon, to compete at the last moment and their role is just as pivotal as the four named runners. In front of an audience of 60,000 people eight teams contested the race, including a superb British and Jamaican national team. The Irish team of Sarah Leahy, Lauren Roy, Ciara Neville and Sarah Lavin finished 4th and clocked 43.73 to break the seven-year-old Irish senior record. The winners Great Britian set a new World Lead with Jamicia second and France third. Surpassing teams such as Australia and Canada, denotes the rise of Irish sprinting talent.
Scott has had an illustrious career as an athlete, competing on the European stage as an u18,20 and 23 athlete. She was part of the Irish u20 4x100m team that took silver at the European u20 Championships in Finland in 2018. Individually she took bronze in the European u18 100m hurdles in Tiblisi. She also reached the final of the 100m at the u23 European Championships in 2021. She is currently ranked 6th for the 100m and 3rd for the 100m hurdles on the Irish ranking list.
The National Combined Events and AAI Games were held at SETU Carlow last weekend. Competing in the men’s 100m Ruben McCarthy recorded a best of 11.53 with Eanna Dunican clocking 10.96. It was a busy two days for McCarthy as he also competed in the 200m and 110m hurdles. Competing over two series for the 110m hurdles he managed a best of 14.75 his third fastest time this season. His 200m was the fastest he has ever run, although it did register over the legal permitted wind speed.
In the ladies 100m, Sive O’Toole and Leila Colfer (SLOT) adjusted their starting blocks to take on two series of 100m races. For O’Toole a best of 11.82 placed her second behind Molly O’Rielly (DSD). Colfer recording a best of 11.90, her second fastest this season.
On the back of her magnificent winning performance as the recent u18 200m All-Irelands, Cassie O’Byrne was back in the blocks over the same distance. Competing with senior athletes she clocked 25.18, her second fastest time ever.
Field events also formed part of the programme. Daragh Corcoran (SLOT) competed in the Discus, throwing a best of 40.50m to finish in third place. In the ladies Discus Chloe Ryan had a best of 34.67m to also grab a third-place performance. David Martinec finished 5th in the javelin. Carlow acts as one of the hubs on the Irish Pole Vault scene with several good athletes emanating from this hub. Matthew Callinan-Keenan has been a name long associated with Pole Vault. Last Sunday he took second with a vault of 4.60m ceding victory to long time rival Conor Callinan by just 10cm. This marks a season’s best for the SLOT athlete.
Tinryland had one competitor. Padraig Webb finished 12th in the 1,500m with a time of 4.10.71.
There are two main domestic competitions remaining on the summer calendar. This weekend is the final of the National League, where St Laurence O’Toole take part in the ladies’ competition. They finished second to Ratoath in the preliminary round. The following weekend is the much-anticipated National Track and Field Championships, where Carlow athletes such as Adam Nolan, Marcus Lawler, Adam Murphy, Matthew Callinan-Keenan, Jennifer Sawyer, Molly Scott, Sive O’Toole (to name but a few) will be in action.
