KILBRITTAIN’S Nicola Tuthill takes part in the women’s hammer throw final at the European Athletics Championships in Rome this Monday night (8.33pm), so it’s time to get to know the West Cork athlete a little bit better.
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Before Nicola found her calling in the women’s hammer, she ran for her club Bandon AC at county and Munster levels. At one Courcey AC Sports Day, Nicola and her older sister Olivia along with their mom Colette and dad Norman won the family relay!
A chance conversation at a neighbour’s daughter’s Communion saw Nicola’s neighbour Kevin Warner, who had thrown the hammer for Ireland, come on board as the rising star’s coach.
Highlighting her family’s support, Nicola’s dad built her a throwing cage and circle on the family farm in 2019; that was a game-changer. It’s her own home-made training facility!
In 2020, and when she was just 16 years old, Nicola threw herself into the headlines when she won gold in the women’s hammer at the national senior athletics championships. She won in style, setting a new personal best (60.04m) and smashing the Irish U18 women’s hammer record! It was Nicola’s first time breaking 60 metres.
Nicola Tuthill, with a huge throw of 69.85m, is in with a great chance of qualifying for the women's hammer throw final at the European Athletics Championships. The Kilbrittain athlete finished second in qualifying Group A. Not fazed by the big stage. pic.twitter.com/HPbu4NgimV
— Kieran McCarthy (@KieranMcC_SS) June 9, 2024
Nicola finished eighth in the women’s hammer throw final at the 2022 World Athletics U20 Championships in Colombia. Five months earlier she had dislocated and fractured her elbow at the European Throwing Cup in Portugal, but battled back to compete on the world stage.
The rising star had won NINE national titles – between U16, U17, U19, U20, U23 and senior – before she turned 20 last December.
Nicola is only the second Irish woman ever to throw over 70 metres in the women’s hammer after setting a new PB of 70.32m at the P-T-S Meeting in Šamorín, Slovakia last month; it was Nicola’s first time breaking the 70-metre barrier. Irish record holder Eileen O’Keeffe (73.21m) is the only woman ahead of her.
UCD student Nicola was crowned the 2023 Athletics Ireland University Athlete of the Year.
What makes Nicola one to watch? Her throws coach Killian Barry says: ‘I jump to the psychological side of her approach; she is a very resilient person and has demonstrated that so much already.’
