Sport

Athletics Ireland responds to documentary doping allegations

ATHLETICS IRELAND has been quick to respond to claims of widespread doping in athletics made in a documentary broadcast on the German ARD/WRD network.  

The national governing body is concerned about the allegations, but also welcomes it as an opportunity for the sport to continue its battle against doping.

“Our record for tackling doping stands for itself down through the years,” said Athletics Ireland CEO John Foley in a statement issued on Sunday.

“Ireland are at the forefront of testing athletes and we stand confidently over the drug testing programme administered by the ISC, which sees athletics as the most tested sport in Ireland. We have a fantastic sport, which is growing annually in Ireland and we want to ensure that all the stakeholders in our sport are committed to a clean environment for our athletes.”

Meanwhile, Annadale Strider Paul Pollock was the winner of Sunday’s National Half Marathon in Dublin, beating the defending champion Mick Clohisey of the Raheny Shamrock club. Pollock’s time of 65:09 was almost three minutes outside his best, but good enough to see the Holywood doctor lift his second Irish title at the distance.

As early as three miles, Pollock was part of a group of nine, with Clohisey pushing the pace along with Mark Kenneally of Clonliffe, Mullingar’s Mark Christie and Tomás Fitzpatrick of Tallaght, before drawing away to win by 50 metres. It was Pollock’s first race in 12 weeks and is likely to be his last competitive outing before the Berlin Marathon on September 27.  

“After a rough 2 days coughing up phlegm delighted to come away with the win today,” tweeted Pollock after the race. 

Pollock’s training companion, Kevin Seaward of St Malachy’s, was third, with Leevale’s Mark Hanrahan in fourth spot. In the women’s race, Leevale’s Lizzie Lee led from start to finish to win in 73:27. She came home ahead of defending champion Sarah Mulligan of DSD and Ciara Hickey. 

Foyle Valley’s Chris McGuinness was the winner of Sunday’s Danny McDaid 15K in Letterkenny. The Derry banker crossed the finish line in 51:42, with over a minute and a half to spare over Finn Valley’s Adam Speer, with Letterkenny’s Natasha Adams finishing third overall just another five seconds back.

Armagh accountant Gary Henderson was equally impressive in winning Sunday’s Cookstown Half Marathon in a creditable 74:53. Newry’s Don Travers took the runner-up spot ahead of Desi Foley. Diane Watson won a tight battle with Natalie Hall, just 17 seconds separated the pair, to take the women’s title in 1:32:03. 

Meanwhile, Ben Reynolds was unlucky at the AAA of England Championships in Bedford, when he was a mere one-hundredth of a second outside the qualifying time in the 110m hurdles for this month’s World Athletics Championships in Beijing. Reynolds ran a personal best 13.48 seconds to take the title and break his own NI record.

The North Down athlete set the previous mark of 13.49 seconds at the Mary Peters' Track two years ago. Reynolds is likely to be awarded a place for Beijing to make up the numbers in the Irish squad for the Chinese capital.

In triathlon, Ireland’s Aileen Reid was 27th in Sunday’s Olympic Test Event in Rio de Janiero. Most countries used the race as a trial for next year’s Olympics, but it was the United States and Britain who dominated the top positions. 

America’s World Triathlon Series leader Gwen Jorgenson took her 12th consecutive victory, seeing off the challenge of Britain’s Non Stanford, with another Briton, Vicky Holland, in third spot.

Jorgenson’s winning time was 1:58:46, with the Derry woman five minutes, 10 seconds back.