UCD Athletic Club’s Sarah Healy broke Sonia O’Sullivan’s 31-year old U23 3000M record after posting a huge personal best of 8.52.63 at the Palio Città della Quercia Rovereto meet in Italy.
Competing in the 57th edition of one of the oldest events on the World Athletics calendar, the Dubliner finished sixth with a lifetime best. Healy’s time break’s Sonia O’Sullivan’s record by 0.02s, which had stood since 1990, set in Croatia.
Two weeks ago, the Tokyo 2020 Olympian broke her 3000M personal best as she ran 8 minutes 57.04 seconds at the the Motonet Meet in Lahti, Finland. Last night, Healy obliterated this by nearly five seconds to move her up to 7th on the Irish all-time list.
Healy’s previous best for the 3000M distance dates back to 2018 where she claimed the European U18 title in Gyor with a time of 9:18.05.
💥NEW U23 3,000M RECORD FOR SARAH HEALY💥
Sarah Healy (UCD AC) has broken Sonia O'Sullivan's 3,000m record (U23) at the Palio Città della Quercia Rovereto Meet in Italy this evening with a brilliant 8.52.63pb🙌
➡️https://t.co/vvS8lsJKDn pic.twitter.com/nWjPIPO8Jx— Athletics Ireland (@irishathletics) August 31, 2021
At just 20-years-old, Sarah Healy is already amongst an elite group of Irish athletes. Only five Irish women in history have broken both 4:10 in the 1500m and 2:03 in the 800m. Sonia O’Sullivan, Ciara Mageean, Mary Purcell, Síofra Cléirigh Büttner and Sarah Healy herself.
The two-time a two-time European U18 gold medallist and European U20 silver medallist, made her Olympic debut in Tokyo earlier this summer where she competed in the 1500M.
Healy wasn’t the only Irish athlete competing on the World Athletics Continental Tour Series. Sisters Roisin and Eilish Flanagan both went under 9 minutes and broke personal bests as they crossed over in 11th and 12th respectively.
Roisin Flanagan crossed over in 8:57:79 which puts her 15th on the Irish all-time list while Eilish Flanagan ran 8:58:46 to move to 18th on the all-time list.
