Athletics:The impressive production line of young Irish talent yielded another gold medallist on the athletics track in Turkey today when Waterford man, Ben Kiely, swept to victory in the 400 metres hurdles at the European Youth Olympics.
In fact, it was a great day for the Kiely family in Trabzon as Ben’s 17-year-old-twin sister, Megan, won the bronze medal when she finished third in the women’s final of the 400m hurdles.
The sister and brother combination needed to be at their very best to get on the rostrum and they more than measured up as each of them ran lifetime best times in the warm and windless conditions.
Ben took gold in 52.69 seconds, a new Irish Youth’s record, beating his own previous top mark of 53.66, while Megan came home in 60.44, appreciably inside her previous fastest of 61.03. The gold medal went to Katsiaryna Veramyenka of Belarus in 59.72.
Ben Kiely did not have the benefit of a favourable draw and had to run from lane seven but he adapted well to the challenge, not least as he found himself a metre or two down with three hurdles to go. But Kiely came away strongly in the closing stages to get the
better of Britain’s Jacob Paul, who also ran well to take second in 52.80 with a Russian third after a most entertaining race.
There was a third medal for the Irish when 17-year-old Sara Kate Lavin finished third in the 100m hurdles in 13.62 seconds, also a new Irish Youth record. Victory went to Nadine Vesser of Holland in 13.28.
Ruari Finnegan has already struck gold in the 1,500m earlier in the week and there could be another medal or two after tomorrow’s concluding programme of events in which Karl J Griffin has the second fastest time (1:50.94) going into the final of the 800m.
Marcus Lawlor also goes in the 200m final where he has a best of 21.62 which ranks him third fastest. Cara Giles is also in the women’s 200m final.