Purcell bidding for 800m title today
Young Trim athlete Harry Purcell will today bid for the 800-metre senior men’s title at the Woodie’s DIY National Senior Indoor Track and Field Championships at the AIT International Arena.
Purcell, who was a nominee for the 2013 young Meath sportsperson-of-the-year award a few weeks ago, set the fastest time in qualifying at the Westmeath venue yesterday.
With the newly-crowned Irish 800m Indoor Senior Record holder Mark English (UCD) withdrawing from the championships last week due to illness it has left the battle for the National title wide open.
In yesterday’s qualifying heats, the first two plus two fastest qualifiers earned a place in the final.
The fastest winner of the three heats was Purcell in 1:54.77, Purcell is coached by Eamon Coghlan.
The final can be viewed on RTE at around 4pm this evening.
The athletes for the final are (in lane order)
1 (327) HARRY PURCELL Trim
2 (186) KRISTAPS VALTERS Clonliffe Harriers
3 (83) NIALL TUOHY Ferrybank
4 (328) ANDRIU JENKINSON Clonliffe Harriers
5 (111) FIONN BÜTTNER Dundrum South Dublin
6 (32) GARY CAMPBELL Dunleer
7 (256) WILLIAM CROWE North Sligo
8 (44) KARL GRIFFIN UCD
Conall Collier