Record for Kelleher

CORK'S Lee Kelleher added to her growing reputation yesterday at the Leisureland international meet in Galway when she broke …

CORK'S Lee Kelleher added to her growing reputation yesterday at the Leisureland international meet in Galway when she broke her national junior record in the 200 metres butterfly final.

Kelleher, who returned to Ireland this year after a spell at the prestigious Millfield school in England, pushed the three-time British Olympian Kathy Osher into second place with an unmatchable kick over the last 50 metres, finishing in a time of two minutes 17.53 seconds.

Kelleher had set her previous 2:17.69 mark at a meet in Glasgow last month.

The 14-year-old now holds four junior records: the 50 and 100 metres butterfly and 50 metres backstroke also belong to her.

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The men's 50 metres freestyle, which was expected to be one of the more promising races of last night's session, turned into a poor event with times not even approaching Nick O'Hare's Irish record of 22.7 seconds. American Jon Olsen, who won two gold medals in the Barcelona Games in 1992 as well as two golds and a bronze last summer in Atlanta, came fourth in the event, won by Braam van Haandel from Holland. O'Hare was third in 23.31.

Johnny Watterson

Johnny Watterson

Johnny Watterson is a sports writer with The Irish Times