Healy highlights the supreme talent with the gold race

After unleashing a last mile dazzling 2:57, Sarah Healy has created a little piece of history of Track and field last night by becoming the first Irish athlete to win gold at the Under-18 European Championships, Dubliner, 17, wiped out her rivals in the women's 3,000 to win a Championship record in 9: 18.05.

Running on a wet track at the Gyor stadium in Hungary, Healy spent her time through the first stages while Frenchwoman Alessia Zarbo pbaded the 1000m in 3:08 and 2000m in 6:20, when Healy took command. and injected a quick change of pace.

That ousted her rivals in an instant and Healy, gold medalist at last year's Youth Olympic Games, came home in splendid solitude to add to his growing reputation, finishing six seconds ahead of Turkey's second-biggest Inci Kalkan.

"It's amazing," said Healy, who had traveled to Hungary with the intention of disputing only the 1500m. "I was not sure I did that, I thought about it a few weeks ago and we decided to leave it, but just before we came we thought, why not?

" The first laps were quick and I decided, "said Blackrock AC athlete, who revealed that his coach Eoghan Marnell had given him specific racing tactics:" It was his idea to start with 1K go.

Gold marks a memorable season so far for Healy, who started the year with a national senior title of 3,000m and has since smashed the Irish records U-20 800m and 1500m. in 2: 02.76 and 4: 09.25 respectively, the last fastest time in the world by a U-18 athlete this year.

This was the first of what could be two gold medals this weekend for Healy, who also rubbed shoulders in the 1,500m wave yesterday morning, she will play this final in 18:10 Irish time tomorrow.

Ointment, however, for Patience Jumbo-Gula, who ranked first in the women's 100m final but who finished fifth in 11.87, a victory won by Icelandic Gudbjorg Jona Bjarnadottir in 11.75.

"I did not do well and it was not a good race," Jumbo-Gula said. "I was not as relaxed as in the heat and semi-final but the start really put me out of the race, but that's a lesson."

The Chief Medal is hoping today with Sophie O 'Sullivan and Rhasidat Adeleke. O & # Sullivan, whose mother Sonia was watching the track, will play the 800m final at 8:18 pm ET after finishing second in the semifinal in 2: 07.95. Adeleke will participate in the semi-finals of the 200m at 10:44, the final taking place at 18:42.

All races will be broadcast live on Eurosport 2.

Irish Independent