O’Keeffe has sights on hammer record

EILEEN O’KEEFFE could break the Irish record in the hammer for a third time in just over a week if things go according to plan at the Lee Strand international track and field meeting in Castleisland tonight.

Last weekend the Kilkenny athlete had two throws better than her old mark when she set the new national record at 69.44 metres and that was just six centimetres short of the A standard for the world championships and next year’s Olympic Games.

Her new coach, Jim Kilty, is adamant she is ready to throw 70 metres and, if things go right in Castleisland, she could do it there.

“I know the qualifying standard for the world championships and the Olympic Games is 69.50m but, to be honest, we are looking beyond that mark,” he said. “All the current indications are that she will break 70 metres and I would like to see her doing 71 metres and throwing that distance consistently between now and the world championships and the Olympic Games.

“I was not surprised when she threw 69.44 metres at the weekend, but what pleased me no end was the fact that she did it abroad. People were thinking that all her best throws would come in Ireland or Britain but here she went to Finland and, in a big competition like the European Cup where there were only four throws allowed, she pulled it out. That, to me, was very encouraging.”

To push her to her limit tonight the organisers of the Lee Strand international will bring in two top German hammer throwers.

Susanne Keil from Frankfurt has three German hammer records to her credit and a best of 71.93 metres. She is sister of Alexandra Keil who has run 13.65 secs for the 100m hurdles.

The second German thrower confirmed is Andrea Bunjes, a former Olympic finalist, who showed signs of her best last year when she was throwing consistently over 68 metres while Dolores Pedrares from Spain has yet to be confirmed.

Joanne Cuddihy, who won the 400m at Cork City Sports on Saturday, will compete in both the 100m and 200m in Castleisland, while John Woods from the USA, who also competes at The Mardyke, will be back to defend his sprint title in Castleisland. Jer O’Donoghue who posted his qualifying standard for the European championships on what is now his home track last year, will be included among the sprinters along with Eric N’Dri from the Ivory Coast and another American, Chris Johnson.

The men’s discus is shaping up to be an excellent competition with Hannes Hopley from South Africa, a former world junior champion and the current US collegiate record holder, heading the entry.

Nick Pettrucci (USA), who won last year, and Eric Cadee (The Netherlands) also compete with Eoin Leen shouldering local interest.

There will be a special reception for world race walking silver medallist, Gillian O’Sullivan, at the Pavilion adjacent to the Castleisland Track on Sunday night to mark her contribution to racewalking at national and world levels. She retired earlier this year following the recurrence of a back injury that caused her to miss the Athens Olympics.