Cork City Sports 1987
Frank O’Mara Stars at Eventful Cork City Sports
Jim Dowling
Marathon Magazine, Vol 28 No 4, September 1987
Mr. Nicholas McEniry, chairman, Mitchelstown, Co-op., congratulating John Walker after he won the Dairygold 5000m race at the Cork City Sports, at the Mardyke, Cork. Picture includes Dave Taylor, who came second; Paul O'Callaghan, third; Mr. Kevin Feeney, marketing director, and Mr. Larry Corbett, product manager, Mitchelstown Co-op., the Dairygold girls, Jane, Mary and Michelle, and Mr. Michael Lovett, deputy chief executive, Mitchelstown Co-op.
Report (PDF file) - Marathon Magazine, Vol 28 No 4, September 1987
The Cork City Sports on Tuesday, July 7th, was once more a great success despite a reduced crowd. On an eventful evening that presaged much which was to come later in the season, the meeting produced many surprise results but Frank O'Mara gave the home crowd a victory to remember when he won the Harp Lager Mile in a style that befits a World Champion.
Last year’s top rated athlete in the world, Yuri Sedyk of USSR, made his third appearance in Cork but was easily defeated in the hammer by his countryman, Sergei Litvinov. Sonia O’Sullivan once more stole the limelight in the women’s events with an astonishing victory over 3,000m.
The programme began with the men’s hammer in which Sedyk was expected to show his best form but he was behind Litvinov’s second throw of 82m 20cm saw him the victor in an event that incredibly had no home representative.
Dermot Kelly, Imperial Hotel (sponsors) with high jump top three
There was further excitement in the field when Hollis Conway of the United States, who won the heart of at least one young woman in the crowd, won a great high jump contest from Sergei Malchenko of U.S.S.R, with a jump of 2m 28cm
Sergei Malchenko in full flight for High Jump
O'Mara tracks Ovett in mile
The Harp Lager Mile was the feature of the track events, and Marcus O'Sullivan was expected to defend local honour against Steve Ovett, but it was the Limerickman Frank O’Mara who did so, as O’Sullivan laboured in the pack. Pacemakers seem to be there to be ignored in major mile races, and after Liam Looney had done the honours, Tommy Maloney was left behind at the bell with Steve Ovett and Frank O’Mara his closest pursuers. Ovett went for it at 300m to go but O’Mara tagged him and went clear in the straight.
DAIRY GOLD 5000m
Pictured among the competitors of the Dairygold 5,000m at the Cork City Sports are the winner, John Walker (No. 207 - in 6th place on the inside lane) and runner-up David Taylor (No. 231 - in 3rd place on the inside lane). Paul O'Callaghan finished the race in third place
The Dairy Gold 5000m was the usual eventful and stirring contest. John Woods, Paul O’Callaghan, John Treacy and Gerry Curtis pushed it up front in a field of everchanging placings but going to the bell Masan Shintaku of Japan rushed up to take the lead.
The improving John Walker, John Treacy, Paul O’Callaghan and Dave Taylor went after him and with the Japanese failing, Walker sprinted right away over the last 200m to win easily from the fast finishing Taylor who went from fourth to second in the last 200m with O’Callaghan running a blinder in third.
Another fine performance was that of Alexander Kurockkin who won the Cleanaway Men's 400m in impressive style. Local favourite Ainsly Bennet had to give best to Simon Baird over 200m while the Mayfield Fruit Open Mile produced a hectic photo-finish in which tough Frank Conway came a second time to catch Seamus McCann and Connie Lynch.
Enjoying a season that is going to be a hard act to follow, Sonia O’Sullivan stole the limelight among the women when she won the Mech Con 3,000m. In doing so she surely put paid to the notion that a fall cost Mary Donohoe this year's National Cross-Country Championship
Mary it was who cut out the running ahead of Melissa Watson. At halfway Sonia was absolutely cruising behind both but when they opened a gap of fifteen metres on her going to the bell, the young Cobh girl looked beaten.
Melissa Watson bested Mary Donohoe with 200m to go but by then Sonia was motoring through and she raced clear in the straight to record 9 mins. 1 sec. with the brave Mary Donohoe battling back to take second also in a personal best time. Alas, this proved to be Mary's only major appearance of the track season.
In the Cleanaways Women’s 800m, Roisin Smyth suffered her worst ever defeat on the home scene when she could only manage fifth. The race was won by Beverley Nicholson from Aisling Mulloy and the brave Edel Maguire who proved the leading lights at the distance for the rest of the season; young Miss O’Sullivan excepted, that is. Michelle Carroll, much to the confusion of the local commentator, came back to form in the John A. Wood 100m in which she defeated Mary Ammond and Olive Burke a la the 84 National Championship.
Upstaged by Sonia, the westernised-looking Olga Vladykina, the possible successor to Marita Koch, turned on the style in the Irish Pension Trust 400m which she had won at half-way from Alice Jackson of the United States with Patricia Walsh third ahead of Barbara Johnson and Patricia Ammond who both ran well.
Lastly, Aidan O'Reagan won a fine contest for the Milliplant Junior 800m from Declan Kennedy and Brian Peppard but with out prejudice to the outcome, the last-bend fall of Anthony O’Keeffe merited more attention from the officials than it got.
RESULTS
MEN
John A. Wood 100m: 1 S Baird. Ballymena, 10.69, 2 K. Finn, Raheny, 10 85: 3 P. Flanagan, Waterford, 10.99; 4 M. Penco, Clonlifle, 11.11; 5 K. Horgan, East Cork, 11.25; 6 J. J. Kerrins. DCH, 11.30.
Barry’s Tea 200m: 1 S. Baird. Ballymena. 21.18; 2 A Bennett, Birchfield Hrs„ 21.43; 3 E. Iluz, Israel, 21.88; 4 P. Flanagan, Waterford, 21.91; 5 F. Hazlett, Lisburn, 22.55, 6 D Adams, Donors Hrs., 22.67.
Cleanaway 400m: 1 A Kurochkin, USSR. 46.21; 2 C. Jenkins, Villanova, 46 64; 3 E. Forde, Barbados. 46.79; 4 K. Finn, Raheny, 47.19; 5 P. Sinclair, Bangor, 48 52; 6 D. Kirby, Waterford, 49.18.
Woodchester Bowmaker 800m: 1 M. Steel. England, 1.49.75; 2 C. Sylvester, England, 1.50 56; 3 R. Shanahan, Leevale, 1 51.01. 4 C. Miliner, Tullamore, 1.51.57,5 D Re- y. Donore Hrs., 1.52.05; 6 J. Fox, St. Br’gtd a, 1.52.76
Mayfield Fruit & Veg. Open Mile: 1 F Conway, iveragn 4.07.17; 2 S McCann, Caven 1. 4.07.31; 3 C Lynch, DCH, 4.07.88.4 B Downey, Kildare. 4 09.24.5 N. Stack. Limerick. 4 09.85, 6 P. McCarthy. West Limerick. 4.10.40.
Harp Lager Mile: 1 F O'Mara. Umenck. 3.56.69; 2 S. Ovett. England. 3.57 03: 3 T Maloney, Thurles, 3.58 06; 4 S. O'Neill Ballymena, 3.58.42; 5 M. O'Sullivan, Leevale, 3.58.84; 6 E. Fitzpatrick. DCH. 3.59.84. 7 A. Salter, England, 3.59 90: 8 J Richards, England. 3.59.94; 9 G. O'Callaghan, Leevale, 4.01.60; 10 J. Hartigan, England, 4.03.54.
Dairygold 5000m: 1 J. Walker, N.Z., 13.30.51; 2 D. Taylor, Clonliffe. 13.32.93; 3 P. O’Callaghan, Wolverhampton, 13.33.74; 4 J. Treacy, Deise, 13.34.05; 5 M. Shintaku, Japan, 13.34.07; 6 Y. Kanai. Japan, 13.35.34; 7 L. O’Brien, East Cork, 13.36.19; 8 G. Curtin, Donore Hrs., 13.36.30; 9 N. Muir, Scotland, 13.37.78; 10 G. Kiernan, Clonliffe, 13.38.95.
Milplant Junior Men 800m: 1 A. O'Regan, Leevale, 1.51.70; 2 D. Kennedy, DCH, 1.52.00; 3 B. Peppard, Raheny, 1.52.95; 4 B. Mullaney, Thurles, 1.53.66; 5 P. Healy, Derry, 1.53.87; 6 S. Hynes, Limerick, 1.55.09.
Imperial Hotel High Jump: 1 H Conway, USA, 2.28, 2 S. Maljchenko, USSR, 2.25; 3 F. Manderson, Annadale, 2.15; 4 D. O'Mahony, Clonliffe, 2.05; 5 M. Power, Clonmel, 2.05; 6 P. Minogue, Harold's Cross, 2.00
Triple Jump: 1 E McCalla, England, 16 38; 2 J. Hayes, Waterford, 14.28; 3 J. Naughton, Nenagh, 13.45.
Bank of Ireland Hammer: 1 S. Litvinov, USSH, 82.20; 2 Y. Sedykh. USSR, 80.34; 3 K. Flack, USA, 74.38; 4 J. Logan, USA, 73.76; 5 D. Smith, England, 72.30 6 S. Peacock, England, 62.46.
WOMEN:
John A. Wood 100m: 1 M. Carroll, Crusaders, 11 86; 2 M Amond, SI. L. O'T., 12.11; 3 O. Burke, Limerick, 12.15. 4 O Kolodni, Israel, 12.15; 5 T. Horgan, Mallow, 12.55; 6 S. Costello, Tearn Puma, 12.72.
Irish Pension Trust 400m: 1 O. Vladykina, USSR, 50.81; 2 A. Jackson, USA, 52.69; 3 P. Walsh, Team Puma, 53.37; 4 B. Johnson, North Cork 54.08; 5 P Ammond, DCH, 54.36; 6 T. McCarthy, Togher, 55.69.
Cleanaway 800m: 1 B. Nicholson, England, 2.04.82 2 A. Molloy, Loughrea. 2.07.17; 3 E. Maguire, Raheny, 2.08.62; 4 N. Salisbury, England, 2.09.18, 5 B. Dennehy, Bandon. 2.09.53; 6 R. Smyth, DCH, 2.10.77.
Mech Con 3000m: 1 S. O'Sullivan, Ballymore, 9,01.52 (Nat. Junior record); 2 M Donoghue. Clonliffe, 9.03.15; 3 M. Watson, England. 9.03.25; 4 S. Vinall, England, 9.06.37; 5 W. Lodge, England, 9.13.23; 6 O. Hartford, Raheny, 9.23.21.
Shandon Travel Long Jump: 1 T Horgan, Mallow, 5.84; 2 K. Glavin, Midleton, 5.81; 3 C. Scott, Belfast, 5.71; 4 J. Stokes, Ferrybank, 5.53, 5 P. Cash, West Dublin, 5 46.
