HIGHLIGHT: Aoife Lynch performed with distinction on the World stage with a brilliant opening leg in Ireland’s 4 x 200m team silver success at the 5th edition of the World Athletics Relays at Silesia in Southern Poland (1st & 2nd May 2021). Middle-distance star Elliot Slade was back in action Stateside at the Pac West Championships (30th April & 1st May 2021) at Fresno, California.
REPORT: Aoife Lynch became only the 2nd ever Donore Harriers senior woman to compete at a World championship track event. Valerie McGovern competed in the World track & field championship 10,000m qualifying round at Tokyo in 1991, whilst Jolene Byrne was the last senior Donore Harriers woman to compete at World level when she placed 17th at the IAAF short-course cross-country championships at Saint Galmier, France in 2005.
Aoife Lynch not only became the first senior Donore Harriers female sprinter to contest at a world event, but she ran a blistering opening leg (24.48 from a block start) in the final of the women’s 4 x 200m relay at the World Athletics Relays in Selisia, Poland.
In the 5-team final Lynch passed the baton to Kate Doherty (24.05) in 2nd place behind favourites Poland. Fine running by 3rd leg runner Sarah Quinn (23.58) and anchor Sophie Becker (23.82) meant that Ireland held on to 2nd position. Poland won in 1.34.98, with Ireland next in a new national record time of 1.35.93. Ecuador came 3rd in 1.36.86, ahead of Denmark (1.37.80) and Kenya (1.38.26).
Putting the result into more context, four of the five teams set new national records, with Ecuador achieving a season’s best. And the conditions were not ideal to fast sprinting with temperatures in Silesia being around 6° to 7°.
Aoife, 21 years old DCU student, told Irish sports journalist Cathal Dennehy in the mixed zone afterwards “I felt at home out there, it was phenomenal. Just buzzing”.
There were plenty of tributes from her club colleagues. Men’s track and field captain David Campbell “Amazing run by Aoife and the team. She’s the best example of how hard work and dedication for years can take you anywhere”. Club sprints coach Ray O’Keeffe “What a performance! All four girls were brilliant, but of course Aoife was the best”. Club President Charlie O’Neill “Superb 2nd place with a new Irish record. Aoife is the first Donore Harriers woman to win a medal at a World track championship. Highlight of the Covid-19 era, definitely!”. Club Director Maurice Ahern “Wasn’t Aoife fantastic! She really is part of a great group of young Irish women sprinters. I’m just so proud of her”. Former club treasurer and distance athlete Anne Curley “What an amazing performance for Aoife and the team. John Geoghegan would be so proud. Enjoy the celebrations”. Women’s track and field captain Leonie Newman “She was amazing! The whole team were amazing! Such a pity that John Geoghegan was not with us to witness Aoife’s performance today. He would have been so proud at how brilliant she was today. She’s a perfect role model to all the young athletes at the club”.
In a poignant tribute to her Late coach and friend John Geoghegan, Aoife wore a black and white ribbon on her Irish singlet.
Here is a link to Day 2 of the World Athletics Relays – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0c16mrPNMpY Aoife’s race starts at 45 minutes.
AOIFE LYNCH in profile: <<details subject to correction and additions>>
Club Donore Harriers. College DCU. Attended Luttrellstown Community College. Coach Daniel Kilgallon. Former coach John Geoghegan with Paul Clarkin.
If any young athlete wants to be inspired to believe and achieve in athletics, then look no further than Aoife Lynch. She was invited to join Donore Harriers by Maurice Ahern when she competed in a school’s championship in 2012. She initially joined the juvenile squad coached by Ray O’Keeffe and Liam Brennan, before coming under the coaching tutelage of the John Geoghegan (R.I.P) and Paul Clarkin. Year on year she made steady progress in her favoured 100m and 200m events.
2013 – Aoife was West Leinster Schools U15 champion for the 100m and 200m and came 3rd in the Leinster Schools 200m.
2014 – She was Dublin Under 16 Indoor 60m and 200m and Outdoor 100m and 200m champion. She also won the West Leinster Schools 100m and 200m.
2015 – She repeated her Dublin success of the previous year, winning the 60m & 200m indoors – and 100m and 200m outdoors in the Under 17 category. She took silver in the Leinster 200m and was West Leinster Schools intermediate champion at both the 100m and 200m.
2016 – In the national indoor track and field championships she came 4th in both the Under 18 grade 60m and 200m. Representing Luttrellstown Community College Aoife took double sprints gold in the West Leinster Schools, followed by Leinster Schools gold in the 200m and silver in the 100m. She then took silver and bronze respectively in the 200m and 100m at the All-Ireland Schools. Aoife then went one better by winning the 200m at the national Under 18 championships. This guaranteed her a place on the Irish team for the Celtic Games, where she came 2nd in the 200m in the Under 18 category.
Aoife was also selected to represent Ireland in the 2016 European Youth Olympics Festival in Tbilisi, Georgia, where she finished 12th overall in the Under 18 200m.
2017 – Silver medal National junior indoors 200m (25.06). National U/19 gold in both 100m (12.25) and 200m (24.98). National junior 200m silver (25.00). All Ireland Schools senior girls 200m silver (24.44) and 100m bronze (12.12). In the European Under 20s at Grosotto, Italy Aoife placed 7th in her 200m heat in 25.12.
2018 – Aoife took bronze in the Intervarsities Indoors 200m (24.85) and silver in both the 200m (24.93) and 4 x 100m relay. She was silver medallist in the National junior indoors 200m (24.81) and in the Leinster junior 200m (24.70). She came 4th in the National junior 100m final (12.08 – 12.01 in heat). Aoife competed in the 100m (2nd in B race in 12.05, ranked 22nd of 27) at the Diamond League Meet at Lausanne.
2019 – At the Intervarsities Indoors Aoife came 3rd in the 60m in 7.70 and took bronze in both the 100m (12.12) and 200m (24.40) outdoors. In the national Indoors 200m she won bronze in a time of 24.17. She was a bronze medallist in the national U/23 200m (24.37) and came 4th in English Under 23 championships (24.32). She was 3rd in the IMAF Meet 200m at Oordegem (12.43). In the national senior championships she came 3rd in the final of the 200m in 24.36 and 7th In a highly competitive 100m final in 11.91. Aoife was a reserve on the Irish team that came 4th in the European Under 23 women’s 4 x 100m at Gavle, Sweden in July 2019.
2020 – In the Intervarsities Indoor Championships Aoife came 3rd in the 200m in 24.84 and 2nd in the 4 x 200m in the colours of DCU. In the national senior championships Aoife came 4th in the 200m in 24.57 (2nd in the U23 category). In a limited competition year Aoife was 8th in the final of the national senior 100m in 12.25.
PBs – 60m 7.65 in (2018), 100m 11.91 (2019), 200m 24.17 (2019), 200m indoors 24.62 (2017). Note: Aoife ran 11.74 at IMC Meet at Leixlip in 2019, but wind factor was plus 3.1 m/s.
100m progression 2016 (12.19), 2017 (12.12), 2018 (12.01), 2019 (11.91), 2020 (12.25 lack of competition due Covid-19).
Aoife has been a regular team member for Donore Harriers in the national track and field leagues, both outdoors and indoors.
Elliot Slade continued to sharpen up ahead of the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) Division 2 finals later this month with some fine running in the Pac West track and field championships at Fresno, California.
Slade, representing the Academy of Art University, qualified to both the 1,500m and 800m finals by posting times of 4.06.37 and 1.58.09 in the qualifying heats on Friday. In Saturday’s 1,500m final he ran a 55-seconds last 400m to go from 12th place to 3rd and close out in 4.07.12. The race was won by James Young, also Academy of Art, in 4.04.99. Young is a member of Morpeth Harriers in North England.
The Donore Harriers man was more at home in the final of the 800m, ran a couple of hours later. He was in 4th place at the bell and 5th with 200 metres remaining, but his superior speed on the home strait saw him win comfortably in a time of 1.54.96. Nathan Estrada of Biola University was runner-up in 1.55.74.
Elliot Slade scored 16 points for his team, that placed 3rd of 5 teams.
RESULTS IN BRIEF:
World Athletics Relay at Silesia, Poland (01 & 02.05.2021)
Women’s 4 x 200m Final: 2nd Ireland – L1 Aoife Lynch, Donore Harriers, L2 Kate Doherty, DSD AC, L3 Sarah Quinn, St. Colman’s AC Mayo, L4 Sophie Becker, Raheny Shamrocks AC (1.35.93 national record).
Aoife Lynch first reserve on Irish 4 x 100m team 4th in Heat 2.
Pac West Track & Field Championships at Fresno, California (30.04.2021 & 01.05.2021)
800m FINAL: 1st Elliot Slade (Academy of Art Univ) 1.54.96, qualified 5th in his Semi-Final in 1.58.09.
1,500m FINAL: 3rd Elliot Slade (4.07.12), qualified 5th in his Semi-Final in 4.06.37.