Loughnane named athlete of year

Olive Loughnane of Loughrea AC was named Athlete of the Year at tonight’s National Athletics Awards in Dublin.

Loughnane gave the entire nation a huge lift with her truly magnificent performance in winning a silver medal in the 20K Race Walk at the World Championships in Berlin.

The Galway-born athlete walked her way into Irish athletics history joining an elite group of Irish athletes to have won a World Championships medal. Only Eamonn Coghlan, Sonia O’Sullivan and Gillian O’Sullivan had seen the tricolour raised in the 26-year history of the competition.

Loughnane also picked up the Performance of the Year Award which is decided by a panel of Ireland’s top athletics journalists. She completed the treble by winning the Walker of the Year Award.

The hotly contested Track Athlete of the Year was awarded to Derval O’Rourke of Leevale AC.

O’Rourke broke her own Irish record when finishing fourth in the 100m Hurdles final at the World Championships in Berlin, and was just 0.12 of a second outside the medals when she clocked 12.67 – the fastest time of the year over the distance by a European athlete.

The Cork woman had announced her return to form when winning bronze over the 60m Hurdles at the European Indoor Championships in Berlin, clocking 7.92 – her fastest time since 2006.

O’Rourke’s coaches Sean and Terri Cahill of Cushinstown AC, who were instrumental in the Cork woman’s performance in 2009, jointly received the Coach of the Year Award.

National Athletics Awards with Woodie’s DIY and Tipperary Crystal Winners:

Track Athlete of the Year: Derval O’Rourke Leevale AC

Road/Cross County Athlete of the Year: Mary Cullen

Field Athlete of the Year: Kelly Proper Ferrybank AC

Race Walker Athlete of the Year: Olive Loughnane Loughrea AC

Junior/Emerging Athlete of the Year: Ciara Mageean

Master Athlete of the Year: Jimmy McDonald Menepians AC

Performance & Athlete of the Year: Olive Loughnane

Hall of Fame: John Treacy

Outstanding Official: Joe O'Flynn Leevale AC

Lifetime Achievement: Sean Naughton Nenagh Olympic AC

Club of the Year: Ferrybank AC

Coach of the Year: Sean & Terri Cahill Cushinstown AC