SUCH HAS been Deirdre Ryan’s form the past few months, the 29-year-old Dubliner could have taken our July or August awards, while also being a serious contender for September, but in the end the judges opted for the middle ground: August it is.
Considering she tore ligaments in both ankles in the past year, having already struggled with injury problems, it’s been a remarkable summer for the high jumper.
It culminated in her finishing sixth at the World Championships in Daegu, reaching the final by breaking her own national record, the London Olympic A-standard of 1.95 metres securing her place in next summer’s Games. It was one the finest ever field event performances by an Irish athlete.
But before Daegu Ryan had given a fair indication of her form and fitness when she improved her Irish record to 1.93 metres at a meeting in Germany, where she has been based since 2008. She moved there to work with renowned high jump coach Gerd Osenberg at the Bayer Leverkusen club, but has stayed loyal to Dundrum South Dublin, the club where, under the guidance of coach Lucy Moore, she first discovered her sporting talent.
In August, Ryan returned from Germany to help DSD win their first National League title since 1987, a victory that earned them a place in next year’s European club championships. Earlier in the month she set a championship best of 1.90 metres when she won at the National Senior Track and Field Championships in Santry, three times coming close to clearing 1.95.
She achieved that goal at the World Championships, a height cleared by 17 jumpers around the world last year. In the qualifying round she jumped 1.80, 1.85 and 1.89 metres on her first attempts, 1.92 on her third, before clearing 1.95 on her second attempt.
In the final she cleared 1.93 metres, failing three times at 1.97 – coming agonisingly close with her last attempt.
“It wasn’t until I saw it afterwards that I realised just how close it was, I just clipped it,” she said.
“In the heat of the moment it’s disappointing, but I’d be very greedy if I said I wasn’t happy with the season.”
By achieving the A qualifying standard for 2012 Ryan secured herself “world class” status in the Irish Sports Council’s grant system, which is worth €20,000 for two seasons. She is now considering going full-time in the build-up to London, the UCD graduate having combined work with her sport until now.
As summers go, that was a highly productive one.
Monthly awards so far
(Dec 2010 to Nov 2011)
DECEMBER:Fionnuala Britton (Athletics). Just missed out on a medal at the European Cross Country Championships, finishing fourth.
JANUARY:Leona Maguire (Golf). The 16-year-old won the Portuguese Amateur Open Championship, which featured over 80 of Europe's leading amateurs, by a remarkable 15 strokes.
FEBRUARY:Fiona Coghlan (Rugby). Coghlan captained Ireland to Six Nations wins over Italy and Scotland. The team finished third.
MARCH:Lisa Maguire (Golf). Lisa followed up her twin Leona's January success by winning the Spanish Amateur Championship.
APRIL:Nina Carberry (Horse racing). Carberry became only the second woman to win the Irish Grand National when she rode Organisedconfusion to victory.
MAY:Jenny Egan (Canoeing). The Salmon Leap canoeist took silver at the World Cup Two in the Czech Republic.
JUNE:Katie Taylor (Boxing). Our two-time sportswoman of the year won her fourth successive European Union championship title in Poland, her 11th major international title since 2005.
JULY:Sycerika McMahon (Swimming) and Madeline Perry (Squash). McMahon won two golds and a silver medal at the European Junior Swimming Championships and Perry claimed the Singapore Masters squash title.
