Kelly McGrory lands new Donegal record as Olympic aims ramp up

Kelly McGrory brought the Donegal 400m record into 53-second territory for the first time on Saturday.

The Tir Chonaill AC woman opened her season in excellent fashion in Italy. McGrory clocked 53.76 seconds in the Milano Sprint Gala.

Over one lap of the Arena Gianni Brera, the 27-year-old shaved almost half-a-second off her previous best.

McGrory was second fastest, sandwiched between Italians Ilaria Elvira Accame (53.21) and Eleonora Marchiando (54.27), to cut further from the 54.21 set last summer at an Irish Milers Meet in Belfast.

That McGrory's new best came just a few hours before Ireland's women's 4x400m and mixed 4x400m relay teams booked places at the Olympic Games represented something of a knock-on-the-door reminder by the Laghey woman.

Last year, McGrory ran the third leg in the women's 4x400m final at the World Championships in Budapest, finishing eighth alongside Sophie Becker, Roisin Harrison and Sharlene Mawdsley.

On Saturday night in the Bahamas, Dublin sprint star Rhasidat Adeleke led the charge for both the women's and mixed relay teams while Mawdsley also ran in both.

Each of the Irish teams set new Irish records, the mixed foursome of Adeleke, Mawdsley, Thomas Barr and Cillin Greene finishing in 3:12.50 and the women's team of Adeleke, Mawdsley, Becker and Phil Healy going 3:24.38.

McGrory seems a woman who plans to have her name in summertime conversations. Certainly, a place in the travelling squad – a place on the track would then be down to selectors – is within her strides.

Harrison, Lauren Cadden and Rachal McCann are others in the mix were Adeleke or Mawdsley to withdraw from one, or indeed both, of the relay selections at any point in Paris.

McGrory's run in Milan came after a little tap on her own shoulder from Arlene Crossan, the Finn Valley AC woman who wiped out a 41-year-old club record.

At the Irish Milers Club meet at Morton Stadium, Crossan, who is coached by Shauna Carlin, won the 400m in 55.13 seconds.

That time took out the previous best of 55.70, set by Christine Lynch at the 1983 Irish Championships, also at Morton Stadium – a mark that stood as the county record until McGrory ran a 54.68 in 222.

Crossan is now second on the all-time Donegal list behind McGrory and the Donegal duo could be set for some interesting tussles over the coming months.

Elsewhere at the Irish Milers Club, Finn Valley's Oisin Toye clocked a new PB to win the 800m in 1:56.09, Amy Greene was third in the 1500m in a new personal best of 9:49.79 and Eimear McCarroll was fourth over 1500m in 4:26.60, also a new PB.