Maeve O'Neill runs new 800m PB in Paris

DOHENY AC’S Maeve O’Neill ran a sensational new 800m PB as she won in Franconville, Paris last Saturday.

The Ballinacarriga teenager (17) was in top form as she crossed the line first in 2:06.38 to win her U18 race at the international invitational event, and in doing so she bettered her 800m PB (2:07.91) that she set at last month’s European U20 Athletics Championships in Tallinn.

O’Neill has been really impressive of late. As well as setting a PB at the European U20s to make the semi-finals she was on the Ireland women’s 4x400m relay team that finished a brilliant fifth in the final and ran a new national U20 record of 3.37.39.

Also, at the South Munster Schools T&F Championship in July, O’Neill smashed the senior girls’ 800m championship record that had been held by Cork and Irish athletics great Sonia O’Sullivan since 1987.

There, O’Neill took almost seven seconds off the previous record of 2:14.1 held by the legendary Sonia O’Sullivan.