Olatunde turns in Irish record-breaking display
ATHLETICS Ireland’s National Sprints Coordinator Daniel Kilgallon will be hoping his star sprinter Israel Olatunde, a member of his elite group based in Tallaght AC, can impress at the European Indoor Champion-ships in Poland next week.
Eighteen-year-old Olatunde, who represents UCD Athletic Club, set new Under 20 and Under 23 records when finishing second to Leon Reid in 6.74.
Israel Olatunde raced to National Under 20 and 23 records
And in his second 60m run of the day, he again pushed Reid to the line, finishing .05 behind the 26-year-old.
Despite having the outside track, Olatunde zipped home in 6.73, breaking the Under 20 and Under 23 best for a second time in the same day.
That superb performance ranks him third in Europe and eighth in the World at Under 20 for the distance.
It also puts him in at Number Four on the Irish All-Time list for 60m, overtaking his training partners Ojewumi who is 10th (6.77) and Eoin Doherty 16th (6.81) on the same list.
He adds the National Under 20 and Under 23 60m records achieved at the weekend to his National Youth 60m and 100m records which he recorded while under the guidance of Dundalgan AC coach Dr Gerry McArdle in 2019.
It resulted in his first Senior International selection replicating the achievements of Ojewumi who competed at the 2019 edition in Glasgow- then the first Irish athlete in 10 years to compete in the Men’s 60m event.
Another member of Kilgallon’s elite group, Kate Doherty, set a new 60m sprint PB of 7.49 on her way to bronze.
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