David Gillick and Michelle Carey were the Irish stars at the international meeting in Geneva on Sunday with David achieving a new personal best of 45.80 for 2nd in the 400 metres and Michelle winning her 400 metres hurdles in 56.52. David's previous best was 45.93 while Michelle's was 57.37. These performances will provide them with great confidence as they head for the European Cup this coming weekend. Also in Geneva over 400 metres Rob Daly ran 46.92 and Brian Murphy a substantial new personal best of 47.13. Emily Maher ran 11.81 ( +07 ) for the 100 metres and 23.79 ( -0.3 ) for the 200 metres. A welcome comeback came for Daniel Tobin in the 400 metres of 48.97. In Bedford Sharon Heveron made a massive breakthrough with a 1.86 metres in the high jump improving on her previous best of 1.80 metres.Sharon from Westport but based in Cardiff has now achieved the qualifying standard for the 2007 European under 23 championships. Simon Phelan with a 2.11 metres also in Bedford staked his claim for selection on the European Cup team. A new Irish junior record has been achieved by Mairead Murphy in the heptathlon at the AAA's championships with 4972 points. This is an improvement by 10 points on her coach Brid Golden's record! Full details of the record are not yet available but what is notable is that the 100 hurdles and 200 metres were into a massive headwind which would sugest that the world junior standard of 5150 points is attainable in decent conditions. At the BMC meeting in Watford on Saturday national cross country champion Vinny Mulvey won the AAA's 10,000 metres in 28.58.29 which was excellent running in the warm conditions. Linda Byrne has made another huge advance with a 4.17.63 for 1500 metres while Orla Drumm also had a personal best of 4.21.74. Keith Kelly home from Providence in the USA made a surprising entrance in the steeplechase and ran 8.55.80. Keith has alrady achieved the 10,000 standard for Gothenburg. Eoin Everard ran a fine 800 metres in 1.49.15 while schools' champion David Mccarthy ran 3.50.82 for 1500 metres. Top talents Gary Murray 3.43.88 and Mark Christie 3.45.77 were a little behind their best in the 1500 metres. In the final of the 800 metres at the NCAA's in Sacramento Thomas Chamney again produced a new personal best of 1.47.64 for 6th place. In Gateshead Karen Shinkins finished 7th in the 400 metres in 52.26.
