Ellis McHugh (Ferrybank AC) broke the Irish U20 400m Hurdles record in Tullamore on Sunday at the National May Open.
The 18-year-old clocked a time of 58.96 to take victory, lowering the previous record (59.00) which had been held by Nessa Cooper Millet since 2013.
McHugh won bronze in the event at last year’s European Youth Olympic Festival in North Macedonia and has now achieved her first qualifying standard for the World Athletics U20 Championships which will be held in Eugene, Oregon in August.
Elsewhere over the weekend, Mark English (Finn Valley AC) became the first Irish male athlete to win a Diamond League race, the 33-year-old producing a blistering last 100 metres to move from sixth to first, to take victory in Shanghai in 1:43.85.
The time is the second fastest of English’s career and was a meeting record.
At the Halplus Werfertage meet in Halle, Germany, Nicola Tuthill (UCD AC) took an excellent win in a competitive Women’s Hammer Throw event, throwing a best of 71.98 metres. This was the second farthest throw of the Bandon woman’s career.
Anna Gavigan (Lambay Sports Academy) was fifth in the U23 Women’s Discus Throw, with a huge personal best of 55.34 metres. This moves the 22-year-old to third on the Irish senior all-time list.
