Tallaght sprint stars steal the show

TALLAGHT sprint stars Rhasidat Adeleke and Israel Olatunde stole the show at the National Senior T&F Championships.

The event on Sunday attracted the largest crowd of spectators in more than thirty years to Morton Stadium, Santry last Sunday, to see some of the stars of Irish athletics perform.

Tallaght A.C.’s triple medal winner Rhasidat Adeleke after her outstanding performances in the European Championships, didn’t disappoint after she delivered a scintillating performance to win her first Senior 100m title in record breaking time of 11.13 seconds.

Speaking after the race, 21-year-old Adeleke said: “I feel like I was at the Europeans or World’s out there, literally.

There’s so many people here, so many people turned out to support us and it means the world to me.

I love competing in Morton Stadium at the Nationals.

It’s very important to me to come back home and make sure I put on a performance for everyone who’s been supporting me throughout the season.

Israel Olatunde of Tallaght AC, left, is congratulated by team-mate Sean Aigboboh after winning the men’s 100m

“I didn’t really know what I was going to do. I haven’t been doing that much speed work, I’ve been trying to focus on the 400m.

“To be able to come here and get the national record, 11.13, I’m really happy with that,” said Rhasidat.

And there was more to follow for the club when three Tallaght athletes lined up for the men’s 100m final, where Israel Olatunde stormed to victory in equally scintillating fashion in a seasons best time of 10.27, and up-and-coming sprinter Sean Aigboboh claimed bronze with a new personal best time of 10.39 seconds and secured the qualifying standard for the World U20 Championships, while Joseph Ojewuimi finished a good 7th in 10.72 seconds.

Margaret Hayden of Tallaght AC competing in the women’s hammer during day two National Outdoor Senior Championships

Simon Essuman (10.89) and David Aigboboh (11.06 new p.b.) progressed to the100m semi-finals.

Margaret Hayden was another to make the podium for the club after she threw 59.02m to claim silver in the hammer contest, while Cormac Dixon, secured his place in the1500m final where he ran with credit and recorded a time of 3:48.38 in a stacked field of seasoned senior athletes, and the previous day, Ailin Geraghty recorded a good time of 50.19 seconds when fourth in his 400m heat.

Elsewhere, at the DSD games the previous Wednesday, Joanna Shodipo, Uche Discu, Brianna Dwyer Carty and Matilda Porcu combined in the 4X100m relay and recorded a new club record time of 49.04 seconds.