Cuddihy steals limelight with double

JOANNE CUDDIHY (UCD AC) stole the limelight from Derval O’Rourke at the Woodies DIY national championships in Morton Stadium, snatching the 200m title with a new personal best of 23.33 secs on Saturday, before producing another lifetime-best to win the 400m in a championship-best time of 51.28 secs yesterday.

Going into the championships, the 22-year-old UCD medical student from Kilkenny was without a national senior title. Last year she was sidelined by a bout of glandular fever and injuries to both knees which necessitated surgery.

But her performance on Saturday left the sparse attendance gasping. She screamed off the bend in the final of the 200m with defending champion Emily Maher, also from Kilkenny, hopelessly adrift.