Santry Welcomes Olympic Medallists
400m to include Olympic Medallists
Jarrin Solomon
Hot on the heels of the confirmed return to Morton Stadium of Manteo Mitchell (USA), London 4 x 400m relay bronze medallist Jarrin Solomon has also committed to the 400 at Morton Games. Solomon a native of Albuquerque, New Mexico competes for Trinidad and Tobego. Not only was he a bronze medal winner at the 2012 Olympics but that same year he won bronze in the 4 x 400 relay at the world indoor championships. At the recent IAAF World Relay Championships held in the Bahamas Solomon again won 4 x 400 bronze. With a 400 PB of 45.19 he will be a man to be reckoned with at next month’s Morton Games.
John Steffensen
Three time Olympian John Steffensen (Australia), with a PB of 44.73, will line up as part of a 400m loaded field on July 11th. “Steffo” was an Olympic silver medallist at the 2004 Games in Athens in the 4 x 400. In 2006 he was Australian 400m champion and then at the Commonwealth Games held that year in Melbourne he won gold in the 400m and 4 x 400 relay. Three years later he won World Championship 4 x 400 bronze in Berlin. In 2012 he competed in the Olympic Games in London.
World Finalists in Albie Thomas Memorial 3000m
Brett Robinson
The Albie Thomas Memorial 3000 will feature top Australian distance runner Brett Robinson. Robinson will start as one of the favourites for this year’s race with some fine PBs to his name: 1500m 3.38.94, 3000m 7.51.99 and a very impressive 5000m set in June of last year of 13.18.96. Robinson was a finalist at last year’s Track and Field World Championships in the 5000m and he also finished an impressive 29th at the 2013 World Cross Country Championships in Poland
Jonny Mellor to lead UK charge in 3000
The Albie Thomas Memorial 3000 these past three years has provide athletics fans with some of the best racing at Morton Games. The 2014 race, sponsored by the Dublin Athletics Board, will be one of the best to date. There is a very strong UK challenge currently assembling lead by Jonny Mellor. Mellor this indoor season ran a 3000m PB of 7.46.73, his outdoor best is 7.51.88 and he also has a 3.58.76 mile in his armoury. Also confirmed is Ross Millington, another sub 4 man and Jonny Taylor, 31st in the 2013 World Cross Country Championships and with a 7.57.16 PB to his credit. Making his return to Santry will be Rob Mullett, an athlete who set his PB of 7.58.65 in the 2012 Morton 3000.
2012 Mile winner Nicole Schappert returns
Nicole Schappert (USA) of the NJ/NY track club returns to Santry for the Women’s International Mile next month. Nicole was the winner of the inaugural Women’s International Mile which was held in the 2012 Morton Games when she shattered the previous stadium record by a massive 14 seconds to record her mile PB of 4.30.65 and in the process set a new Morton stadium record (that record was subsequently lowered to 4.30.44 by Brie Felnagle (USA) last year).
Nicole went to college at Villanova and was a three time All-American. She was a finalist at the US Olympic Trials in 2012 at 1500m and set her 1500m PB that year of 4.06.87. The Women’s Mile will once again be a world class affair, as previously confirmed the field will include US 5000m record holder Mollie Huddle and US based Scot Lennie Waite