Published: Wednesday, 10th February, 2010 4:59pm
Costello's odyssey
by Jimmy GeogheganLong road back successfully negotiated
Colin Costello on his way to victory in the 1500 metres at the All-Ireland indoor championships on Sunday.
Pic by==: 97
Star of the Sea athlete Colin Costello returned to form last Sunday at the All-Ireland Indoor Track & Field Championships at the Odyssey Arena, Belfast when he took the 1500m title in front of an appreciative crowd.
The championships also proved a success for club colleague Kourosh Foroughi who claimed the bronze medal in the high jump while Na Fianna's Rosemary Daniel shared number one spot in the high jump with Pamela Hughes from Dublin. They each registered a jump of 1.75 metres.
Other Meath athletes to impress included Dunboyne's Darragh Costigan who won the boys u-14 high jump and was second in the u-14 60m hurdle.
"It has been a long journey for Costello to rediscover the form that led him to the European Junior title nearly five years ago", commented Meath AAI chairman Brendan Meade.
"Hampered by niggling injuries since he came home from the US he was finding it hard to get the necessary training to make it back to top-flight athletics.
"With the help of coach Robert Denmead all is falling into place. On Saturday evening Costello came through the first of the two heats very comfortably in the third automatic qualifying place.
"While slightly nervous before his first big final in a few years, Costello looked totally focused and composed as the athletes were called to the line".
From the gun the race was very tight and tactical for the first 800m with the athletes completing the first four laps of the 200-metre circuit in two minutes, 10 seconds with James O'Hare (East Down) in the lead followed by Niall Robinson (North Down) with Andrew Monaghan (Lagan Valley) close behind.
Costello and Conor Healy (Clonliffe Harriers) stayed clear of trouble and kept a very close eye on their rivals. As Healy started to move through the field on the penultimate lap Costello switched out into lane two in readiness to launch his attack.
Approaching the bell the Clonliffe man made his move and got a lead of three metres going round the second last bend, but the experienced Costello had already had the break covered and with consummate ease he took the lead half-way down the back straight.
"Holding his form on the last bend he came into the finishing straight to the applause of the crowd and had enough of a lead in hand to be able to relish his victory as he approached the line," added Meade
Foroughi sought to add gold in the high jump. A fortnight previously he had cleared 2.15m in the AAI Games in Nenagh, but a slight knee injury picked up the previous week was not the ideal preparation for the Belfast event especially given the opposition included Barry Pender (St Abban's), the indoor champion from last year, and Adrian O'Dwyer (Kilkenny City Harriers) former Olympian and a 2.30m high jumper.
Foroughi opened at 1.80m, which he cleared but he followed it with one foul at 1.90m. While he cleared 1.95m he had a further foul at 2.0m. Pender got up to 2.0m with only one foul but O'Dwyer looked the best bet with a faultless display up to the 2.00m and at this stage he was in the lead. Foroughi then cleared 2.05 on his first attempt while Pender fouled.
With O'Dwyer having one failure at 2.05m this put Foroughi in the lead. It took the Star of the Sea athlete three attempts to clear 2.10m, but both Pender and O'Dwyer moved ahead of Foroughi. The bar was now set at 2.15m, a height which proved too much for both Foroughi and O'Dwyer, but not for Pender who cleared it easily.
St Brigid's Elaine Plunkett (St Oliver's PP Oldcastle) finished fourth in the senior girls race at the North Leinster Schools Cross Country championship held in St Clare's DCU on Tuesday of last week. Plunkett now qualifies for the Leinster Schools Cross Country at Santry on Wednesday, 24th February.
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