D.S.D at European Clubs Cup!

As we come down from the high of the European Champion Clubs Cup which took place in the sun-drenched city of Castellon, Spain, I want to start by thanking the extraordinary team of support staff that travelled with the team and made sure we all made it through in (almost) one piece. Our amazing physios Aidan and Colleen, who worked tirelessly from the second they arrived in Spain to the second they left, providing not only physio support but also moral support, encouragement and a generally calming presence. Our wonderful coaching team - Peter, Mary, Avril and Ken who made sure our sprinters and hurdlers were primed and ready; Meghan and Rob who helped our middle distance athletes to cope with the incredibly hot conditions; Lucy and Kevin who doubled as athletes and field event coaches, proving that without our masters athletes, it would not be possible for our teams to compete at the level they are! A huge thank you to Becca Carthy and her incredible camera work; Becca managed to capture the event beautifully from start to finish and provide our teams with photos and videos that they will cherish long into their successful athletics careers.

To my fellow captain Ciarán - we can sleep now! Thank you for your unwavering support over the last few months - the men’s team are very lucky to have such a talented and committed captain. And of course, our incredible team manager Sharon, without whom none of this would have been possible. It’s rare to find someone who exudes such a perfect balance between professionalism and genuine care, but Sharon made sure that every single athlete felt important and advocated for, racking up more steps across the weekend then the rest of the team combined!

I would like to emphasise how unbelievably proud I am of all of our athletes who competed over the two day event. The DSD women’s team has a long and decorated history at the ECCC competition, and despite some last minute injuries and changes, the current crop of girls banded together to produce what can only be described as a gutsy, courageous and inspiring team performance. For some of our athletes, it was their first time competing outside of Ireland and we knew the competition would be tough, but they weren’t fazed. If anything, the atmosphere and buzz of the event seemed to spur them on, and competing against the best in Europe left them hungry for more!

A special mention has to go to our sixteen-year-old sprint sensation Evelyn Kwik, who battled bravely to the line in the 400m to clock a new PB of 55.52, which is under the standard for this summer’s European U18 Championships which take place in Rieti, Italy. On behalf of the whole club, we are so proud of you Evelyn, and we cannot wait to see what the future holds! But as is the case with many high performance athletes, achieving this qualifying standard wasn’t enough for Evelyn, and she returned to the track the following day to link up with club stalwarts Molly Hourihan, Kate Doherty and Mollie O’Reilly to produce what was arguably the highlight of the championships for DSD. In the blistering midday heat, our women’s 4x400 team stormed their way to a new National Club Record of 3.38.64 - bettering the previous time set 26 years ago by almost 4 seconds. This was a truly incredible way to end the championships, and highlights just what our athletes can do when we come together and leave everything on the track for the team. From hurdles to middle distance, pole vault to hammer, every single athlete who stepped foot in the Complejo Deportivo Getà Huguet stadium wore the club colours with pride. Let’s make this a tradition; I hope to see everyone coming together again this summer to try to retain our National League title and qualify the team for next year’s championships!

100m: Mollie O’Reilly - 6th -11.70 SB

100m Hurdles: Louise King - 13th, 15.64 SB

200m: Molly Hourihan - 10th, 24.54

400m: Evelyn Kwik - 11th, 55.52 PB European U18 A Standard

400m Hurdles: Kate Doherty - 7th, 59.44

800m: Amy O’Donoghue - 10th, 2.08.89 SB

1500m: Iona Murnane - 13th, 5.02.99 SB

3000m: Holly Carroll - 8th, 9.50.96

3000m Steeplechase: Sadhbh Hassett - 13th, 12.13.58 PB

4x400m: Molly Hourihan, Kate Doherty, Mollie O’Reilly, Evelyn Kwik - 8th, 3.38.64 National Club Record

Long Jump: Louise King - 11th, 5.23m

High Jump: Lauryn Healy - 12th, 1.60m

Triple Jump: Molly Mullally - 12th - 11.00m

Pole Vault: Úna Samuels - 10th, 2.80m SB

Shot Putt: Emma Roche - 13th, 8.65m

Hammer: Lucy Moore - 13th, 18.48m SB

Discus: Adona Zewdie - 11th, 38.39m

Javelin: Ava Conroy - 12th, 27.97m

Guest 100m Heat 1: Aobh Forde - 1st, 12.11w (+2.5) PB, Síofra Fitzmaurice - 4th, 12.42w (+2.5) PB, Molly Mullally 6th, 12.76w (+2.5) SB

More photos to follow!

(Report by Rachel Dunne)