Athletics: Tuthill eyes record-breaking evening on home soil 

Bandon's Nicola Tuthill.

For Nicola Tuthill, chances like this don’t come around often. 

The 22-year-old Bandon thrower will take on world champion Camryn Rogers of Canada on home turf at the Cork City Sports this evening – the women’s hammer looking the standout event at the meeting’s 72nd edition.

That will open the main programme at the MTU Athletics Stadium in Bishopstown at 6.30pm, with 14 international events across the evening.

Tuthill comes into it in sparkling form, having smashed her personal best last month with 72.73m in Poznan, Poland, where she defeated three-time Olympic champion Anita Wlodarczyk.

The Paris Olympian enjoyed a breakthrough year in 2025, winning silver at the European U-23 Championships and World University Games before making the world final in Tokyo. 

In Cork this evening, she will have her eyes on Eileen O’Keeffe’s Irish record of 73.21m, which has stood since 2007.

Rogers, however, will be very tough to beat. 

The Canadian has won the last three global titles and her personal best of 81.13m puts her second on the world all-time list. Also in the field is Norway’s Beatrice Llano, a former world U-20 champion who recently set a national record of 73.21m.

“To have the reigning Olympic and world champion competing in Cork against our own Nicola Tuthill is a fantastic opportunity for Irish athletics,” said meeting director Mark Walk. “It will provide an unforgettable spectacle for everyone attending.” 

Elsewhere, Sophie Becker will test her speed over 200m, the two-time Olympian taking on Britain’s Aleeya Sibbons, who has run below 23 seconds, while Becker’s best is 23.43.

Tallaght’s Seán Aigboboh will take on an international field in the men’s 200m to close the meeting at 8.55pm. The 20-year-old – a student at the University of Houston, where he’s coached by nine-time Olympic gold medallist Carl Lewis – set an Irish senior record of 20.27 in April.

Paris Olympian Cathal Doyle will drop down to 800m where he’ll hope to better his personal best of 1:45.78, but he will face a difficult task to win with Britain’s Jamie Phillips and USA’s Sean Dolan, who have both run 1:45 this year, in the line-up.

Ciara Neville has been in strong form of late and the Limerick sprinter will look to improve her PB of 11.31 in the women’s 100m, where Britain’s Mabel Akanda and Joy Eze look the chief threats.

The women’s 800m should prove a fascinating clash as Ireland’s Laura Nicholson, Sophie O’Sullivan, Emma Moore and Hannah Segrave take on a strong international field, with the two-minute barrier within reach.

Several men should break four minutes in the men’s mile where the quickest entrant is Britain’s Adam Fogg, who has run 3:49.60. Australia’s Thomas Diamond, who has a best of 3:52.49, should also feature.

The men’s shot put will see Irish Olympian Eric Favors take on an international field that includes New Zealand’s Nick Palmer and Sweden’s Wictor Petersson, who’ve both thrown over 21 metres.

The event will be live-streamed on YouTube by European Athletics, with tickets available on Eventbrite.ie.