Thumbs up for Ireland's fastest woman

PHIL Healy’s need for speed knows no boundaries.

The Ballineen woman set four personal best times in just three days, including an Irish women’s 100m record, as her hot streak continues.

At a meet in Santry last Wednesday, the 23-year-old Waterford IT masters’ student smashed the national 100m record when she ran 11.28. On the same night she broke her 400m personal best (PB) of 52.63.

On Saturday at the Geneva International meeting in Switzerland, Healy set a new 400m PB of 52.19 as she finished second, while she also ran a new 200m PB of 23.17, which moves the West Cork woman to third on the all-time Irish list.

Healy has qualified to represent Ireland in the 100m, 200m, 400m, 4x100m relay and 4x400m relay at the European Athletics Championships in Berlin in August. Speaking to The Southern Star, Healy says there’s more to come.

‘Absolutely, I think I can go faster. There’s more there,’ she said.

• See page 13 for full interview.