Oisín Joyce's Historic Javelin Throw Leads a Day of Personal Bests for Irish U20 Team in Mannheim

Sunday, June 23rd, marked the second and concluding day of the Bauhaus Junioren Gala in Mannheim, Germany. The bulk of the Irish U20 contingent took to the track, showcasing some very promising up-and-coming athletes. They would set numerous personal bests and even a new national record on a memorable for Irish U20 athletics.

First up was David Davitt, based in upstate New York, competing in the 400m Men’s Hurdles. He ran an impressive race to finish 2nd with a time of 53.80.

Nenagh Olympic AC athlete Ava Rochford delivered a strong performance in the Women’s High Jump, finishing 3rd by clearing 1.80m, a new personal best for the Tipperary native.

The Men’s 200m Timed Heats saw two Irish athletes compete. Blackrock athlete Dónal Martin ran a personal best of 21.55 to rank 7th, while Antrim native Toby Thompson ran a season’s best of 21.67 to rank 11th overall.

Next were the Women’s 200m heats with four athletes representing Ireland. Precious Akpe-Moses was the fastest of the Irish, despite hitting the starting blocks for a third time in two days following her 100m performance yesterday. She recorded a terrific personal best of 24.50 to rank 10th overall. KCH athlete Molly Daly was not far behind, also gaining a personal best by recording 24.61 to finish 12th. A little further down the field was Ratoath AC’s Katie Doherty, ranking 20th with a time of 25.01. She was closely followed by Hannah Falvey in 21st place, with the Belgooly athlete recording a season's best of 25.20.

The highlight of the day had to be Oisín Joyce’s javelin performance. Not only did the Lake District athlete win the event, but he also set a personal best and U20 National Record with a blistering throw of 73.72m. This remarkable performance not only put him in the record books but also clinched him a place in the World Athletics U20 Championships, set to take place in Lima, Peru, at the end of August.

The last of the Irish in action for the day was the 4x400m Mixed Relay team, comprising of Conor Kelly, Saoirse Fitzgerald, Seán Doggett, and Maria Zakharenko. They finished a respectable 3rd place with a time of 3:24.91, ahead of Team Scotland and Germany III. This time was also good enough to book their place at the World Athletics U20 Championships in Peru.

Bauhaus Junioren Gala Mannheim Day 2 Results

• David Davitt – 400m Hurdles – 2nd – 53.80
• Ava Rochford – Women’s High Jump – 3rd – 1.80m PB
• Oisín Joyce – Javelin – 1st – 73.72m PB NR
• C Kelly, S Fitzgerald, S Doggett & M Zakharenko – Mixed 4x400m Relay – 3rd – 3:24.91

Men’s 200m Timed Heats

• Dónal Martin – 7th – 21.55 PB
• Toby Thompson – 11th – 21.67 SB

Women’s 200m Timed Heats

• Precious Akpe-Moses – 10th – 24.50 PB
• Molly Daly – 12th – 24.61 PB
• Katie Doherty – 20th – 25.01
• Hannah Falvey – 21st – 25.20 SB

Featured Image: Perri Williams