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06 Sept 2025
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06 Sept 2025
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John Kelly and James Kelly pictured in Leiria, Portugal
John Kelly put 21 centimetres onto the Ulster shot put record on Sunday.
The Finn Valley AC man reached out to a whopping new mark of 18.83m at the European Athletics Throwing Cup in Leiria, Portugal on Sunday.
The St Johnston man has only just returned from an 18-month injury lay-off, but has hit back in style.
Kelly set a new Ulster indoor record of 18.46m when finishing third at the Kultävling open competition in Växjö, Sweden, last month.
On Sunday in Portugal, Kelly bettered his previous outdoor best by 21cm. In July 2020, Kelly threw 16.62m in Växjö.
Kelly finished in fifth place with his 18.83m - a new lifetime best indoor or outdoor for the just-turned 25-year-old.
Kelly also threw efforts of 17.70m and 18.29m with his record-breaking throw coming on his sixth and final attempt.
He is based in Sweden, where he is coached by Vésteinn Hafsteinsson and his outings since his return from injury offer serious encouragement.
His younger brother James was also competing in Leiria. In the under-23 shot put, he threw a best of 16.56m for an eighth-placed finish.
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