Healy sisters race into national 60m sprint record books

BY KIERAN McCARTHY 

BANDON AC sprinter Phil Healy is hitting form at the right time.

The Knockaneada, Ballineen athlete (21) recorded a personal best in the indoor 60m at the national league final in Athlone on Saturday where her time of 7.35 was also a national U23 60m record, bettering her previous time of 7.36. 

Last Saturday’s record of 7.35 was just off the world indoor standard of 7.32.

Phil’s new 60m PB puts her fifth on the all-time Irish 60m indoor listing while her sister Joan, who finished in second place in 7.41 seconds, is now ninth in the all-time list. Joan was making her comeback after missing most of the last two years through injury.

Then on Sunday, Phil hit the headlines again at the GloHealth Indoor Games when she ran 23.74 in the 200m to move to number four on the all-time Irish list. This was a new indoor PB for Phil, and it’s just off the European Athletics Championships standard of 23.60, which is very encouraging for the West Cork ace ahead of the championships in Amsterdam in early July.

Next up for Phil are the varsities where she will compete in the 200m, while she will race both the 60m and the 200m against top sprinters at the AIT International Grand Prix in Athlone on Wednesday, February 17th.

The GloHealth National Senior Indoor Championships will be held in Athlone at the end of the month, on February 27th and 28th.