Local heroes Healy and Tuthill lead the Irish charge at Cork City Sports
Phil Healy. Pic: Bryan Keane/Inpho
There had been lingering uncertainty in recent times as to the future of the Cork City Sports, but that great cornerstone of Irish athletics is once again back on its marks for its 71st edition at the MTU Athletics Stadium this evening.
Among the Olympians leading the home charge are Cork athletes Phil Healy and Nicola Tuthill, while Eric Favors, Cathal Doyle and Marcus Lawler will also be hoping to impress as they look towards the Tokyo World Championships in September.
The men’s 100m is one of the stronger events, featuring four men who have run 10.1 seconds, among them Irish record holder Israel Olatunde. The 23-year-old has a best this year of 10.23 and will be looking to edge closer to his national record of 10.12 in Cork.
Olatunde moved to Florida last year to train with Olympic champion Noah Lyles and after a sub-par indoor season, he’s been shifting through the gears this summer.
Lawler, an Olympian in Tokyo, will look to challenge his 100m PB of 10.28. USA’s Coby Hilton, a semi-finalist at the World Indoors this year, is among his in-form opponents, having run 10.24 recently.
Japan’s Ippei Takeda, who recently ran 10.23, will also feature, along with Australia’s Caleb Law, a 10.17 man at his best, and Ian Kerr of the Bahamas, who’s run 10.14.
Healy will attempt a sprint double and in the 100m, she and fellow Cork sprinter Lucy-May Sleeman will face Cecilia Tamayo Garza, who has a wind-aided best of 11.10 and who set the Mexican 200m record of 22.45 back in 2023.
Also in the field is Britain’s Mabel Akande, who has run 11.27, and Nigeria’s Knowledge Omovoh, who has a best of 11.26.
Nicola Tuthill will have lots of support in the women’s hammer and the Bandon athlete has been in outstanding form of late, smashing her Irish U-23 record with 71.71m in Finland.
She will take on Australia’s Lauren Bruce, Norway’s Beatrice Llano and Estonia’s Anna Maria Ceh, who have all thrown over 73 metres.
The men’s 3000m features Australia’s Stewart McSweyn, who has a blazing personal best of 7:28.02. The Irish challenge is led by rising star Nick Griggs, the former European U-20 champion who will look to challenge his Irish U-23 record of 7:36.59.
Having been ruled out for several months this year due to an infection in his knee, the 20-year-old came back to racing with a bang last month, clocking a 3:55.97 mile in Belfast.
Cathal Doyle will drop down to 800m and test his speed against international rivals, including British duo Thomas Randolph and Henry Jonas, who have both run 1:44.
Cian McPhillips will be a strong contender for the Irish, the Longford athlete clocking 1:45.33 indoors back in February and opening his outdoor season with a third-placed finish at the recent European Team Championships.
The men’s mile features several athletes who have run below 3:55, including Australia’s Matthew Ramsden who has a best of 3:51.23, and Ronan McMahon-Staggs, who grew up in California but switched his allegiance to Ireland in 2023.
He ran a mile in 3:51.85 in Seattle earlier this year, where he studies at the University of Washington.
There will be lots of support behind Leevale’s Charlie O’Donovan, who clocked a mile best of 3:56.96 in May, while James Gormley, a 3:53.70 miler, should also feature strongly for the home contingent.
The action begins at 5.30pm with the women’s hammer and concludes with the men’s mile at 9pm.
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