The 56th Cork City Sports at UCC Sports Grounds The Mardyke just about had everything, with excitement, drama and world class competition from the start to the very finish. There were some very happy athletes heading home from the Mardyke today and a few that would have wished for a different result. Local heroine Derval O’Rourke could only finish third in the 100m hurdles, stating afterwards that she hadn’t even settled in her blocks before the gun went. Sarah Claxton from England, her arch rival over the years in Cork, won a dramatic sprint in 13.04, with Toyin Augustus from Nigeria second in 13.05 and the Leevale woman third in 13.13. Things were worse for European indoor 400m champion David Gillick. All the athletes were under a warning after a false start, but disaster struck for Gillick when he false started. He knew immediately that he was a fault, slapping the track with the palms of both hands and the usual utterance that goes with knowing the penalty. He was out, but put a brave face on things afterwards. This was, he said, the first time he ever false started a race in his entire career, and he was disappointed that it should happen in his only 400m race in Ireland this season. Paul Hession was one of the happy group who left the Mardyke. Running just the 200m he was always ahead and crossed the line in 20.44, but the disappointing aspect of the race was the following wind of 4.7. He will probably race again in Sheffield in two weeks. Cork City Sports he said is a great meet and he would wish there were more of the same. The strange thing about the day was that there was no cold, and even though the wind was strong at times, the rain did stay away. Another happy athlete was David Campbell. This guy simply oozed confidence in the way he ran, taking the lead I the home straight and winning very comfortably. There was a time when he would arrive for a race and get annoyed at the weather or some other minor irritant. Not these days though. After the race he said he heard no lap times or saw any clocks during the race. He is enjoying his racing and as happy now as when he was a teenager. Now he wants to win races and after his second place finish in Finland last week he has a new confidence. He has no plans to concentrate on the 800m or 1,500m and will be happy to qualify for the World’s at either event. Joanne Cuddihy has been racing at Cork City Sports since she was sixteen, but today was something special when she won from a top class field. Her time of 52.26 was obviously slowed by the windy conditions, but she showed real strength as she powered down the home straight in front. Mary Cullen powered away from the field with over two laps remaining to win comfortably in 9:12.59 from Laura Kenny from England. Russian Olisia Tyurina won the 1,500m after going through the first lap in 82 and the half in 2:32, with Roisin McGettigan third. Track ResultsField Results
