IT’S official: Nicola Tuthill is the best women’s hammer thrower in Ireland.
The Kilbrittain teenager (19) won gold at the 123.ie National Track and Field Championships to rubber-stamp her standing as number one in the country.
Tuthill, in UCD colours, won with over six metres to spare, and her best throw of 67.67m was just 18 centimetres off her own Irish U23 record which is also her PB. Closest to the West Cork teen were Margaret Hayden (Tallaght AC) with 61.63m and Adrienne Gallen (Lifford Strabane AC) with 56.05m.
Having missed the 2022 nationals through injury this is the second time Tuthill has won the Irish senior title, her first back in 2020 when she burst on the scene as a 16-year-old. It means she has now won NINE national titles between U16, U17, U19, U20, U23 and senior before she turns 20 years old!
Bandon AC athlete Shane Howard also won a medal at the nationals, bringing home bronze from the men’s long jump. His best effort was 7.46m, and Howard finished behind winner Reece Ademola (7.96m) and Sam Healy (7.61m).
There was disappointment, however, for the Healy sisters, Joan and Phil, who both missed out on medals. Former Irish 400m champion Phil had to settle for fourth place in the women’s 400m final. She had won her heat, but couldn’t keep pace with classy winner Sharlene Mawdsley (51.94), second-placed Sophie Becker (53.10) and bronze medallist Roisin Harrison (53.93) in the final. Bandon AC sprinter Phil finished in 54.55. She has now decided to call a halt to her season and has withdrawn from selection for the upcoming World championships. The plan is to recharge the batteries ahead of winter training.
Her older sister Joan also finished fourth in the women’s 100m final, having won her heat and finished second in her semi-final. Joan lamented producing arguably the worst race of her season in the final, as her 11.91 was five hundredths of a second off Molly O’Reilly (11.86) in bronze. Sarah Lavin took gold with a lifetime best of 11.53 and Lucy May Sleeman won silver in 11.85. Joan had run a season’s best of 11.59 earlier in July, but couldn’t replicate that last Sunday. She has been carrying a heel injury since April, which led to other niggles, so the Ballineen woman has now decided to bring her season to a close and make sure she’s ready for the winter training block.
