Leading award for Loughnane

OLIVE LOUGHNANE, silver medallist in the 20k walk at the world championships in Berlin, was named Ireland’s ‘Athlete of the Year’ at an awards ceremony in the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Santry, on Saturday night.

Loughnane, who competes for Loughrea Athletic Club and lives in Cork became the fourth Irish athlete to claim a medal at a world outdoor track and field championships, joining Eamonn Coghlan, Sonia O’Sullivan and her former race walking team mate, Gillian O’Sullivan.

She was also presented with the ‘Performance of the Year Award’ which is decided by a panel of Ireland’s top athletics journalists and then completed the treble by winning the ‘Walker of the Year Award’.

The performances of Derval O’Rourke (Leevale AC) in winning bronze at the European indoor championships and then finishing fourth in the final of the 100m hurdles at the world championships in Berlin earned her the ‘Track Athlete of the Year Award’.

O’Rourke’s coaches, Sean and Terri Cahill, both former internationals in the 110m hurdles and long jump respectively, were joint winners of the ‘Coach of the Year Award’.

Mary Cullen (North Sligo AC) was named ‘Cross Country Athlete of the Year’ – a timely boost in advance of next month’s European championships in Dublin.

Last season she came within two seconds of a medal at those championships and, as a result, will be a medal favourite when she lines up in Santry on December 13.

The 1984 Olympic silver medallist in the marathon and two-time world cross-country champion, John Treacy, was inducted into the Hall of Fame on the 30th anniversary of retaining the world cross country title in front of 25,000 spectators at Limerick Racecourse. It is also the 25th anniversary of his silver medal performance in LA.

Ciara Mageean was winner of the ‘Junior/Emerging Athlete Award’. The 17-year-old Lisburn AC athlete demonstrated her credentials collecting silver at the world youth championships in Italy and then winning the 1,500m at the European youth Olympics in Finland breaking the championship record and the Irish youth and junior records.

Another exciting prospect for the future is ‘Field Athlete of the Year’, Kelly Proper (Ferrybank AC) who enjoyed another record-breaking season. The Waterford woman set a new Irish long jump record of 6.59m to qualify for the European Indoor Championships finals where she finished seventh. Outdoors she won her fourth long jump title at the National Track and Field Championships of Ireland with a wind assisted leap of 6.68m.

‘Master Athlete of the Year’ was awarded to Jimmy McDonald of Menepians AC for his double gold in the 5,000m and 10,000m walks at the World Masters’ Track & Field Championships in Finland.

Joe O’Flynn (Leevale AC) received the Outstanding Official Award and Sean Naughton (Nenagh Olympic) received the Lifetime Achievement Award.