Bandon's Nicola Tuthill just shy of making Olympic Hammer Throw final

The 20-year-old Bandon athlete unleashing a 69.90m effort in the women’s hammer throw qualification, just over a metre shy of making the final

FIRST GAMES: Ireland’s Nicola Tuthill with coach Killian Barry during her qualification round. Picture: ©INPHO/Ryan Byrne

Nicola Tuthill produced a fine performance on her Olympic debut in Paris today, the 20-year-old Bandon athlete unleashing a 69.90m effort in the women’s hammer throw qualification to finish eighth in her group and 16th overall.

That left her just over a metre shy of making the final and was the joint-second longest throw of her career, leaving her justifiably proud.

“It’s amazing, I’ve hit 69.90m twice now so I’m dying to break that 70, it’s there and it’d have been nice to get it, but I’m only 20,” she said. “I’m the youngest person in the field here today so to be able to come 16th is amazing. When I fouled the first round, I was getting a little stressed because you only have three throws and you have to produce your best but I knew all the work was there, I just had to get it out on the day.” Tuthill smashed the Irish U-23 record earlier this year with a 70.32m throw in Slovakia and she secured a place in Paris via her world ranking. “If you told me a few years ago, or even at the start of this year, that I’d be 16th in the Olympics, it’s such an amazing feeling,” she said.

“The stadium is absolutely packed, there’s Irish flags in every corner and I’m so competitive that I’m always looking at what I can do but to come 16th, I’m delighted.”