Ciara and Glen compete in NY
SLIGO athletes Glen Carty and Ciara Schmidtmeier had the most breathtaking experience in the Big Apple as they took part in the Millrose Games.
The kids and their families jetted over the pond on Thursday the 6th of February and checked into the Park Central off Broadway. On the Friday morning they had their first greet with race director, Longford man Ray Flynn as they were taken over town to the press conference.
Here the 2 Irish athletes along with 6 Olympic medallists were introduced to the media and Glen and Ciara rubbed shoulders with the likes of Allyson Felix for the morning.
That afternoon they went up to the Armory for their first taste of the track in which they would compete in the following day.
That evening they went to the opening of the Millrose Games at a fancy gala and hung out with Irish legend Eamonn Coghlan.
Onto the main event, the Millrose Games!
Up first was Ciara Schmidtmeier from North Sligo.
She was nicely drawn in lane 5, the 7-year-old runner got a storming start and was well up throughout the race, in the later end she faded slightly and finished in a very tight 8th place and could come away with her head held very high.
Up next on the track was Glen Carty, a quiet lad from Strandhill, but a ruthless competitor under it all.
Glen, like Ciara got a brilliant start and was competing all the way through the 55m final.
In a blanket finish Glen finished a brilliant 6th place in a time that was only one 1 hundredth slower than the winning time last year so he can go away with his head held high.
Once the spikes were off the kids put their feet up and were treated to race after race of high calibre with the famous Wanamaker Mile being the curtain raiser and to bring the curtain down, New Zealand miler Nick Willis came and grabbed Glen after his race and threw him up on his shoulders to the applause of the crowd.
What an experience! This memorable experience really could not happen but for Galway man Richard Donovan.