Tuthill solidifies baseline despite falling short of PB goal at Cork City Sports

Three of young Nicola Tuthill's throws landed out beyond 72m. 72.12, 72.32, and 72.35. This is her established altitude now. 72-plus has become the baseline, rather than a sign of sporadic brilliance.

Ireland’s Nicola Tuthill after coming 2nd in the Women’s Hammer Throw. Pic: Nick Elliott/Inpho

Such a consistent set of throws Nicola Tuthill has never before put together. And yet as she walked out of the hammer circle after her sixth and final attempt, the hometown athlete wore a slight shade of disappointment.

22-year-old Bandon native Tuthill arrived into Tuesday’s Cork City Sports in the form of her young existence. 

Having first broken the 72-metre barrier at the European Throwing Cup in mid-March, she again smashed her personal best last month with 72.73m in Poznan, Poland.

That was the mark she wanted to better on home turf. 

That mark remains stubbornly unbettered. But instead of improvement in a single throw and joining Eileen O’Keeffe as only the second Irish female to surpass 73 metres, she found improvement in the consistency of her attempts.

Three of Tuthill's throws landed out beyond 72m. 72.12, 72.32, and 72.35. This is her established altitude now. 72-plus has become the baseline, rather than a sign of sporadic brilliance.

“I was really hoping to PB at home, especially it being Cork. You are always looking for that little bit more, you are always looking for that extra tiny bit,” Tuthill told the Irish Examiner after her second-place finish.

“It would have been lovely to get a PB, but I am still very happy. It is a very consistent performance. I have never had a competition with three throws over 72m before, so that is really solid.” 

Friday’s Morton Games and Nationals two weeks later will be her final tune-up events before Europeans in Birmingham in the middle of next month.

Nicola Tuthill of Ireland competes in the Cork Airport Women's Hammer Throw. Pic: Sam Barnes/Sportsfile

The season to date has already brought such progress. It has not, though, exceeded expectations. The 2025 World finalist demands constant improvement of herself.

“I have very high expectations of myself and am very hard on myself in that way. That's both a good and a bad thing. The signs were there, training was going well. So you are always kind of hoping for it, but you never know on the day what is going to happen because it is a very technical sport. One tiny move in the wrong way and it could end up in the net, so any day you are throwing over 72m is a good day.

“Last time at Europeans I made a final, I would love to do that again. But throwing in Europe is insane at the moment, so I'd love to be at 72, or maybe a little bit further. I’d love to pull out a PB.” 

The women’s hammer was taken by World Champion Camryn Rogers, 76.16m the Canadian’s winning mark.

Elsewhere at the MTU Athletics Stadium in Bishopstown, there were a number of Irish track athletes who dropped down in distance for a speedwork visit to Leeside. Sophie Becker was second in the 200m, in 23.67. Great Britain’s Aleeya Sibbons was first across the line in 23.33.

Sophie O’Sullivan clocked 2:01.33 for third in the 800m, the podium’s highest step claimed by Croatia’s Nina Vukovic in 2:00.41. 1,500m specialist Cathal Doyle, meanwhile, managed 1:47.62 for fourth in the 800m.

On a night of no Irish winner in any of the headline events, Bori Akinola (10.36) and Seán Aigboboh (20.63) were second in the 100m and 200m respectively.

America’s Reuben Reina was the mile winner in 3:54.08. The first of the Irish home was Liam Lyons of Cork City AC, 3:57.19 his posting.

There was a PB for one Bandon athlete before proceedings concluded, Fiona Everard shaving 13 seconds off her 3,000m best for a first-ever sub-nine-minute clocking. 

Her 8:51.72 run was sufficient for sixth in a photo-finish race nicked by Amina Maatoug of the Netherlands in 8:45.72. It also moved her to 10th on the Irish all-time list.

Everard’s goal for the season is 10,000m European qualification, for which she currently sits outside the rankings cut-off.

“Going into this, I wanted to get as close as I could to 8:50. Training has been going well, and I’ve taken confidence from that. It is my first time going sub-9, so to do it in Cork is that bit nicer. I have been chasing 10kms all summer, so it is hard to know how that will translate to a 3km. There was nothing to lose. It was just a case of go after it and see. Thankfully, it paid off,” she said.

“I’m around six or seven places outside the quota for Birmingham, so I need that many people not to take it. It is 50/50. I will continue to train with the idea that I could be going.”