SEVERAL NATIONAL RECORDS were broken as Irish athletics returned at the Irish Life Health Elite Micro Meet at the Sport Ireland National Indoor Arena on Saturday.

The event saw athletes compete for European Indoor qualification, as well as Category E world ranking points for those athletes pursuing qualification for this summer’s Tokyo Olympics.

Mark English (Finn Valley A.C.), a European Indoor bronze medallist in 2019, stole the show as he broke his own national 800m indoor record of 1:46.82 in a sensational finish with Cian McPhillips (Longford A.C.).

Donegal’s English crossed the line in 1:46:10, with McPhillips clocking 1:46.13 to record a persoal best of over six seconds as well as the national U20 and U23 800m indoor records for good measure. McPhillips’ time was the second fastest ever in the European U20 indoor standings.

Both men were well inside the European Indoor Championships standard of 1:48:25 and so too was John Fitzsimons (Kildare A.C.), who finished third in 1:47:80.

💥New National 800m Record of 1:46:10 for @markenglish_ in a stunning finish with Cian McPhillips (1:46:13)💥

Both men well inside European Indoor standard of 1:48:25 🙌🏼

What a race!!https://t.co/raTXnSjDRh pic.twitter.com/zNi3X4QuOT

— Athletics Ireland (@irishathletics) February 20, 2021

In the final race of the day, John Travers took men’s 3000m honours, registering a lifetime best of seven minutes and 50.40 seconds to marginally edge Darragh McElhinney, whose seven minutes and 50.80 seconds is an Irish U23 record. Third-placed Conor Bradley and fourth-placed Hiko Tonosa also ran inside the European Indoor Championship standard.

Elite Micro Meet results

Women’s 200m sprint

• 1. Sarah McCarthy (Mid Sutton) 24.68
• 2. Catherine McManus (Dublin City Harriers) 24.98

Men’s 200m sprint

• 1. Leon Reid (Manapians) 20.96
• 2. Marcus Lawler (St L. O’Toole) 21.23
• 3. Mark Smyth (Raheny Shamrock) 21.41

Women’s high jump

• 1. Sommer Lecky (Finn Valley) 1.75m
• 2. Aoife O’Sullivan (Liscarroll) 1.70m

Men’s high jump

• 1. David Cussen (Old Abbey) 2.10m
• 2. Jordan Lee (Killarney Valley) 1.86m

Women’s 60m hurdles

Series 1

• 1. Sarah Lavin (Emerald) 8.20
• 2. Kate O’Connor (Dundalk St Gerard’s) 8.59

Series 2

• 1. Sarah Lavin (Emerald) 8.22
• 2. Kate O’Connor (Dundalk St Gerard’s) 8.57

Men’s 60m hurdles

Series 1

• 1. Matthew Behan (Crusaders) 8.00
• 2. Gerard O’Donnell (Carrick-on-Shannon) 8.07

Series 2

• 1. Gerard O’Donnell (Carrick-on-Shannon) 7.95
• 2. Matthew Behan (Crusaders) 7.99

Women’s 1500m

• 1. Ellie Hartnett (UCD) 4:35:27
• 2. Greta Streimikyte (Clonliffe Harriers) 4:42:61
• 3. Amy O’Donoghue (Emerald) DNF
• 4. Michelle Finn — Pace (Leevale) DNF

Men’s 800m

• 1. Mark English (Finn Valley) 1:46:10
• 2. Cian McPhillips (Longford) 1:46:13
• 3. John Fitzsimons (Kildare) 1:47:80
• 4. Conor Duncan (Ratoath) 1:53:15
• 5. Kevin Woods — Pace (Crusaders) DNF

Women’s shot put (4kg)

• 1. Michaela Walsh (Swinford) 15.7m
• 2. Casey Mulvey (Inny Vale) 14.69m
• 3. Kate O’Connor (Dundalk St Gerard’s) 14.22
• 4. Ciara Sheehy (Emerald) 13.05

Men’s shot put (7.26kg)

• 1. James Kelly (Finn Valley) 16.72

Men’s 3000m

• 1. John Travers (Donore Harriers) 7:50:40
• 2. Darragh McElhinney (UCD) 7:50:80
• 3. Conor Bradley (City of Derry Spartans) 7:53:70
• 4. Michael Power (West Waterford) 8:06:88
• 5. Jonny Whan — Pace (Clonliffe Harriers) DNF