Morland revels in top-class contest

CUSHINSTOWN AC’s Elizabeth Morland excelled in a top-class field of athletes when finishing fifth overall in the heptathlon at the European Youth Olympics in Grosseto, Italy.

The competition for Under-20s produced one of the best heptathlons in the event’s history, with 15 countries competing and four athletes breaking the 6,000 points barrier. Morland herself broke the Irish record with a total of 5,801 points after a superb performance over the seven disciplines.

On Day 1 her first event was the 100m hurdles where she came second overall with a season’s best of 13.94sec. She then cleared 1.75m in the high jump, threw a new personal best of 11.47m in the shot putt and finished the day with a season’s best of 24.76sec in the 200m.

Day 2 began with the long jump where Morland achieved a brilliant PB of 6.01m, and she had another personal best in the javelin with a throw of 43.74m before finishing the competition with an 800m in 2:23.93.

Cushinstown have congratulated Morland on her performance, and also her coach Phelim Joyce who was in Italy to see her compete.

There were further celebrations for the club when their member Paul Keogan competed in the Para Athletics World Championships in London in two events. He was seventh in the T37 200m final with a time of 25.38sec and fifth in the T37 400m after achieving an excellent time of 56.90sec.

Back at home on Saturday, Shane Joyce competed in the National Senior Championships in Santry in the Senior Men’s javelin and claimed a bronze medal with a throw of 57.30m.

And on Sunday Luke Redmond ran in the 100m for Senior Men at the same meeting and clocked a time of 11.27sec.