Irish athletes scored two individual victories and also established a new national record during the Five Nations international in Tallin in Estonia last night.
Siobhan Hoey, the young athlete from Dundrum, smashed her own national triple jump record which she set four years ago when she leaped to 12.38 metres. However, such was the quality of the opposition that Hoey had to be satisfied with fifth place.
The two individual victories came from Ballymena athletes Paul Brizzell and James McElroy. Brizzell won the 200 metres in 20.93 seconds, which is the second occasion that he has beaten the standard in this event for the European Championships. McElroy, who has been making big strides in only the last month, added to his reputation when he won the 800 metres impressively in 1:47.60. In the same race Colm McLean of St Malachy's College in Belfast finished fifth with a time of 1:49.64 which qualifies him for the World Junior Championships.
Irish Performances, Men: 100m - K McDonagh 2nd, 10.66; 200m - P Brizzell 1st, 20.93; 400m - P Kelleher 5th, 49.33; 800m - J McElroy 1st, 1:47.60, C McLean 5th, 1:49.64; 400m - H D Keoghan 8th, 54.40.; High jump - M Mandy 4th, 2.10m; Shot - S Breannach 5th, 15.30m; Javelin - M Allen 5th, 58.57. Women: 100m - E Maher 4th, 12.01; 200m - L Barry 3rd, 24.50; 400m - K Shinkinn 5th, 53.92; 800m - E Fitzgerald 8th, 2:13.51; 100m - H D O'Rourke 6th, 14.33; Triple jump - S Hoey 5th, 12.38m (national record); Discus - A O'Brien 5th, 47.24m.