Ryan puts injuries behind her to set new national high jump record
The 24-year-old Dubliner is on a roll and her target of 1.95m — which would secure her an international grant — is realistic.
“Obviously the European championships in Gothenburg in three weeks time would be the ideal time to do it but I am pretty confident I can jump 1.95m now,” she said.
A 1.95m jump last year would have put her among the top 20 in the world. Kajsa Bergqvist from Sweden topped the list with the 2.02m that won her the world title in Helsinki to highlight her return from injury.
Deirdre Ryan, too, has had her share of injury. Three years ago, she missed the national championships with a stress fracture but came back a year later to reclaim the title. Last year she was out again with a serious ankle injury.
“I injured my ankle in Madrid and was out for a month. Then when I was just back, I tore ligaments in my ankle and they took away part of the bone with them. Eventually I had to have surgery last summer and I was in a cast for two months,” she recalled.
She was slow getting back. Her winter started late and she only got down to serious training in February.
“It is such a pleasure to be able to jump and compete again and I am really enjoying it now,” she said.
She was jumping off just five strides when she cleared 1.89m for fourth place at the European Cup. She was jumping off seven strides when she cleared 1.88m to win the competition at the BUPA Cork City Sports.
“I am just getting used to jumping off seven strides,” she said. “But I felt comfortable with it on Saturday.
“Now I have done the B standard for next year’s world championships in Osaka but I need 1.95 for the A standard to get an international grant.”
She works full-time in banking with Unicredito, who are flexible with time and this allows her to train. She did a Masters in the Smurfit Business School and spent six months in Belgium before returning to work in Ireland.
She has been coached by Lucy Moore since she was 14 and Sean Cahill is doing technical work with her as he does with the world indoor 60m hurdles champion, Derval O’Rourke.
Next weekend she will be busy. She competes Heusden-Zolder in Germany on Saturday night. That’s where Chaunte Howard from the USA jumped 2.00m last year en route to her silver medal at the world championships.
She will fly back to Dublin for the national senior championships at Morton Stadium on Sunday when she will the odds-on favourite to add the national title to the AAA title she won last weekend.
Eileen O’Keeffe, from Kilkenny, winner of the hammer throw in Manchester, will also be favourite to retain her title at the weekend, while race walkers, Colin Griffin, who set a championship best in the 5k walk, and Anne Loughnane, winner of the women’s title, should complete doubles.
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
