VanBuren to keep both eyes on clock
VanBuren will take to the blocks for the 100m at this evening’s Cork City Sports meet, with one focus and one focus only, the clock.
The unassuming American boasts a personal best of 11.10 and bids to join the elite who have dipped under the 11 second barrier, the barometer of world class female sprinting.
“That is a lifetime goal for me,” says VanBuren. “My husband, who coaches me, has me on track to break 11 seconds. He thinks it’s possible and that’s why I’m here in Europe competing. Fingers crossed that it will happen and it’s not that you want to run it once, you want to do it more than once to show that it was not a fluke, to show that you can do it.
“In America you need to be in the ten seconds zone to know that you are the best of the best. You can pull out a handful of women in the States right now who run 11.1. I don’t like to focus on others; I just like to focus on me. Anything can happen in a race so you just try to focus on yourself and keep running.”
VanBuren faces stiff competition from fellow American Jessica Young, who is also threatening the 11 seconds marks. Ailis McSweeney will spearhead the Irish challenge, which includes Bandon’s Phil Healy — fresh from her sprint double at the national juniors — Kelly Proper, Niamh Whelan and Amy Foster, the fastest Irishwoman this season.
Similar to VanBuren, Cornel Fredericks has travelled to Cork in the hope of lowering his all-time best. The South African 400m hurdler picked up the Athlete of the Meet award last year and there was never any doubt about his return.
“It’s nice to be back,” he smiles. “It is a little cold and I expected it be warmer. Last year it was windy and drizzly, but it is always nice to run in Cork. Last time I was here there was a good crowd and good athletics. Hopefully, this time around the wind will allow for good performances.”
Frederick clocked 49 seconds flat last year and with qualification for the world’s in Moscow already in the bag, he is targeting a sub-49 run.
“I’m coming here for a good performance and I’m looking for a good time, sub-49 seconds. I’m using this as preparation for Moscow where I want to make the final.
“I competed at the Olympics but got injured in the heats so I want to make amends.”
The line-up for the women’s 800m features a string of athletes who have ran under two minutes, but Kerry’s Laura Crowe isn’t fazed by the opposition.
Crowe singles out Australia’s Zoe Buckman as the one to watch, but says: “I won’t be worrying about the other athletes and what times they have ran.”
The An Riocht athlete smashed her personal best over the distance when placing seventh at the recent Bislett Games in Oslo, clocking 2.02.69, a sizeable improvement on her previous best of 2.04.30 set in May.
“It has given me so much confidence,” she admits.
“I paced an 800m race in Birmingham at the weekend where I had to go through the first lap in 58 seconds and then one minute 26 for 600m, but I had the confidence to do so and it was great just to be in the call room with all these big names.
“The 1500m would be my main event and I have taken a couple of seconds off that this season, but these 800m races are definitely helping with the longer event. It will be tough tonight, but I plan to hold on and hopefully come out of it with a PB.”
Injury has ruled local star Ciarán Ó Lionaird out of the mile, but Cork City Sports chairman Tony O’Connell says it still promises to be the headline event.
“We have 17 international athletes for that race and they are all sub-four minute milers. That is guaranteed to be a great race.
“We have the 800m race with Laura Crowe who is flying at the moment and the sprints also feature some exciting talent.”
O’Connell claims that recognition from the European Athletics Association has ensured each event is laced with international quality.
“This is a European permit meeting. The athletes have to be of a certain standard each year and that has ensured a high calibre. We’ll have nearly 200 international athletes competing and it also allows our Irish athletes to test themselves on home soil.
“People shouldn’t miss this one. It is going to be a cracker.”
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