Phil named 2018 Cork Athletics Person of the Year

BY JOHN WALSHE

AFTER her recent disappointment of failing to reach the final of the 400m at the European Indoors in Glasgow, Phil Healy is already looking forward to the outdoor season ahead. 

Expressing her delight at being named as the Cork City Sports Athletics Person of the Year for 2018 on Monday at the River Lee Hotel, the 24-year-old stated there was plenty to look forward to in the coming months: ‘I took a few days, in which I happened to get sick, but I go back to Waterford this evening where training continues as normal.’

Having won a Cork City Sports monthly award back in January of 2018, Healy was selected as the overall yearly winner following her most successful season to date. 

‘It’s a great to honour to be announced as the overall winne. There’s so much talent here in Cork so I’m absolutely delighted to receive it,’ she said.

It was at the City Sports in July that the Bandon athlete set her second Irish record of the summer when clocking 22.99 for the 200m, a venue that made it extra special, as she explained: ‘It made it a little bit sweeter breaking the national record in front of the home crowd and that support. It’s a credit to the committee to have such brilliant athletes from America and the UK and other countries and it gets the best out of ourselves as well.’

The World University Games in Italy next July will be the main focus for the season ahead. 

‘I’ll mix the distances again with the 200m one of the main aims. After Italy I’ll race the European and Irish circuits for the summer and will be back here in Cork on August 14th for the Cork City Sports,’ she said.

‘Yes, I was disappointed in Glasgow. It was unfortunate that I got clipped in the semi-final as I felt I could have come second but I’ll use that drive and take it on into the rest of the season.’