Nicola Tuthill’s funding boost can help Euro qualifying target

THE timing of Nicola Tuthill’s inclusion as one of 12 athletes to benefit from the Jerry Kiernan Foundation is ideal, as the Kilbrittain hammer thrower chases qualification for the European Athletics Championships in June.

The Irish women’s senior hammer champion is one of the 12 athletes who will benefit from combined funding in excess of €30,000 in 2024. 

‘I’m delighted to get the Jerry Kiernan Foundation funding; it’s great to have it and put it towards travelling for competitions,’ says Tuthill, who last month set a new personal best of 68.65m at the Irish Universities Track and Field Championships.

‘I’ll be competing next weekend in Dublin and after that I will be travelling abroad to gain more international experience and see what I can manage in terms of Europeans.

‘I was only 35 centimetres off the B standard at intervarsities a few weeks ago. Training has been going well so if I could get over that mark, qualification would then be down to having enough points to qualify through the world ranking system.’

The deadline for European qualification is May 26th and the UCD student is sitting exams until May 12th, so Tuthill is planning a busy two weeks to hit the distances she needs to book her seat on the flight to Rome in June.