Irish trio run into form at right time

IRELAND’S medal hopes at next month’s European Indoor Championships received a boost at the weekend as Phil Healy, Ciara Mageean and Mark English all impressed.

Healy was in action at the Millrose Games in New York, clocking 53.72 to finish second in the women’s 400m behind American Jaide Stepher, who won in 53.25. Mageean was in action in Madrid, where she finished second in the 1500m in 4:10.12, a race won by Poland’s Sofia Ennaoui in 4:08.31.

English, meanwhile, started his 2019 campaign with a win at the IFAM indoor meeting in Belgium, clocking 1:48.66 for 800m to beat fellow Irishman Zak Curran (1:49.36) and hit the qualifying standard for the European Indoors in Glasgow. He will next be in action at the Athlone International Grand Prix on Wednesday night. Sommer Lecky also impressed in Ghent, the World U-20 silver medallist clearing 1.84m in the high jump.

Sprinters Molly Scott and Joseph Ojewumi also clocked qualifying times for the European Indoors, Scott running a PB of 7.36 for 60m at the Irish University Championships, with Ojewumi running 6.77 for 60m at the same event to also get one leg on the plane to Glasgow.

Elsewhere, Gary O’Hanlon continued his stellar form on the roads, the 44-year-old routing the field at the Irish 50K Championships to win in 2:50:48, breaking his own national record by four minutes.