Brian Fay sets new Irish national record in 5000m in Heusden...
In Heusden, Belgium, recent University of Washington alum Brian Fay (Paul Merca photo) took care of both the 2023 world championship qualifying standard of 13:07.00 and the Paris Olympic standard of 13:05.00 in one fell swoop as he finished second in the top section in the men's 5000 meter run at the KBC Night of Athletics Saturday night.
Fay chopped over 15 seconds from his previous personal best of 13:16.52 to run 13:01.40, and in the process, broke the Irish national record of 13:03.53 set in 2011 by Alistair Cragg.
The native of Dublin told Independent.ie, "I’m absolutely buzzing."
“I thought if I could break 13:20 I’d be happy. With a lap to go I was hurting, but I knew if I went sub-60 I could get a national record so I said, ‘f**k it, I’m going, I don’t care if I blow up. I’m giving it a go.’”
The race was won by Kenya’s Cornelius Kemboi in 13:00.68, with Fay in second going well under the 13:03.53 mark set by Cragg in Brussels 12 years ago. It puts the Pac-12 champ at 5000 & 10000 meters this season the third fastest in Europe this year and 21st in the world.
“I didn’t even know Budapest was on the cards but now I’ll give it a lash, try make that final,” he said. “It bodes well for next year, I can train away now with the Olympic standard, and try to make an impact at the Europeans and Olympics.”
In Espoo, Finland, Sophie O'Sullivan of the Huskies advanced to the finals of the women's 1500 at the European Athletics Under-23 championships Saturday morning.
O'Sullivan ran 4:18.25 to comfortably take the win.
"I was right where I wanted to be for this race and for the finals I wanted to put myself in a good position and try to get a medal. I don't compare myself with my mother Sonia O'Sullivan who has been gold medallist in World Championships in the 1990's for track and field. She didn't compete in the same sports as I do I know her mainly as my mother, not as an athlete," O'Sullivan told reporters afterward in the mixed zone.
O'Sullivan runs in the finals of the women's 1500 at 6:25 pm local time (8:25 am in Seattle).
It was a rough go for the Huskies' Anthony Smith, as the graduate of Eastside Catholic HS was last in his heat of the men's 200, running 21.67.
Washington's Ollie Thorner was 13th through four events in the decathlon before he failed to start the 400 meters.
Thorner, who is transferring to the University of Florida to join his sister Elise, an NCAA scorer in the steeplechase at the University of New Mexico this season before head coach Joe Franklin left UNM to take the Louisville position, got off to a strong start.
He set personal bests in the 100 (10.94), long jump (22-11.25/6.99), and shot put (44-2/13.46m), then cleared 6-4.25/1.94m in the high jump to give him 3129 points entering the 400.
European Athletics is offering free live streaming of the meet via European-Athletics.com.
In Langley, British Columbia, recent Seattle Prep graduate Will Floyd, who was on Canada's 4 x 400 relay team that medaled at the 2022 world U20 championships, won the men's 400 at the Harry Jerome Classic Friday night.
Floyd, who will attend Stanford this fall, ran 45.31 to comfortably take the win.
Washington grad Aaron Ahl was third in the top section of the men's 1500, running 3:39.45, while Tacoma native Jack Yearian was fifth at 3:41.13.
Washington volunteer coach Alli Cash was eighth in the top section of the women's 1500 in 4:12.18.
Washington volunteer coach Sam Prakel, along with former Husky Sam Tanner, are entered in Sunday's eighth stop of the Wanda Diamond League tour, the Kamila Skolimoska Memorial meet in Silesia, Poland.
Prakel, who was fourth in the 1500 at last week's Toyota USATF outdoor championships in Eugene, is entered in the 1500, as he looks for either the world championship standard of 3:34.30, or the Olympic standard of 3:33.50.
If for some reason Joe Waskom does not hit the world championship qualifying standard and falls out of the top 56 to get into Budapest, Prakel would take Waskom's place, assuming he hits the standard or is inside the top 56.
The men's 1500 is scheduled for 8:38 am in Seattle (5:38 pm local time). The meet will air live on CNBC and Peacock from 7am to 9am in Seattle.
NOTE: The KBC Night of Athletics meet, European Athletics, Harry Jerome Invitational and the Wanda Diamond League contributed to this report.
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