Phil shows why she's West's golden girl

BY KIERAN McCARTHY

BALLINEEN bullet Phil Healy ran her second fastest 200m time ever to win gold – and her first 200m outdoor title – at the Irish Life Health National Championships in Morton Stadium on Saturday.

The Bandon AC sprinter turned on the afterburners again as she raced to 200m victory in 23.56, ahead of Cliodhna Manning (Kilkenny City Harriers) in 23.70 and Niamh Whelan (Ferrybank) in third in 23.92.

This impressive time came four days after she set a new 200m PB of 23.32 at the Cork City Sports event – a time that puts her fifth fastest on the Irish all-time list.

At the nationals on Sunday, Healy finished outside the medals in the 400m final, coming home in fourth, but she wasn't too disappointed by that, as she explains.

‘The 400m was purely for training, just to cover the distance and I used it as a training session. I finished fourth in the final, which is okay, as I wasn't expecting anything in it. The legs were tired after a busy few days but I used the 400m for an endurance top-up for the next few weeks ahead of the world university games on August 25th,' Healy said.

‘The 200m title was the main aim because I had never won the 200m outdoors before. I was really happy with that so to come away with my second fastest outdoor time, I can't complain.'

Several other Bandon AC athletes also competed last weekend with Laura McSweeney finishing third in the women's shot putt and Roisin Howard coming in fifth in the same competition. Patrick McSweeney finished seventh in the men's shot putt. 

On Saturday, Roisin Howard finished outside the medals, in fourth, in the discus and Scott Gibson came eighth in the final of the 200m.