McKee scorches home in record time to take national title

PAUL McKEE took advantage of ideal conditions for sprinting to set an Irish record in the 400m at the National Championships in Santry.

The Beechmount Harriers athlete broke a 16-year-old record with a 45.62 run a month ago and yesterday stormed home in 45.58.

Antoine Burke, who won a silver medal in the high jump at the world junior championships eight years ago, threatened McKee on the back straight but it Robert Daly (DSD) who came through to take second in 46.76. Burke came third in 46.88. Daly will replace Tomás Coman in the 4x400 relay squad in Munich. This will be his first major championship since the world juniors.

Karen Shinkins (DCH) put her injury worries behind her with a championship best performance in the women's 400m, which she won in 52.34. Ciara Sheehy (DCH) was deprived of a national record due to the absence of a wind speed monitor which did not function on Saturday when she won the 200m title in 23.02 on Saturday, beating defending champion Sarah Reilly.

Yesterday she returned to win the 100m title in 11.57, beating her old rival Emily Maher and adding the 100m qualifying standard to the 200m standard she achieved earlier.

Gary Ryan (Nenagh) also bounced back to his best by winning the men's 100m in 10.56, beating defending champion John Mcadorey (Ballymena and Antrim), who had set a championship best of 10.45 in the semi-finals.

David Kelly (DSD) showed all the signs of being the new kid on the block as he battled his way to the front to win the 800m from Conor Sweeney who appeared to have the race won when he passed James Nolan on the final bend.

The 20-year-old Dubliner won in 1:49.31 2.5 seconds faster than he ever ran before adding the national senior title to the indoor 1,500m and U-23 1,500m titles he won earlier in the season.

Unbeaten in this country, he has also won the Irish Universities 5,000m title and the International Universities title over 1,500m.

James Nolan, who has been troubled by a frustrating injury for most of the season, will be considering whether or not to go to the European Championships over the coming days.