Medals flow as UCD athletes affirm their status as best in class
Posted 30 July, 2018
Superb runs at the World U23 Rowing Championships by rowers from University College Dublin have brought home team gold and silver.
Talented oarsmen (opens in a new window)Shane Mulvaney and (opens in a new window)David O’Malley made a big splash in Poznan, Poland, winning gold in the men’s 2000m lightweight pair.
The talented oarsmen, who are both Ad Astra Academy athletes, came in two seconds ahead of race rivals Greece to claim the top spot on the podium on Saturday.
The UCD pair, who study science and medicine respectively, are the first ever Irish team to win gold at these championships.
They won bronze in the same category last year.
INCREDIBLE!!! DAVID O’MALLEY & SHANE MULVANEY... U23 WORLD CHAMPIONS!!! href="https://t.co/P4HkfgX7MG">pic.twitter.com/P4HkfgX7MG
— UCD Boat Club (@UCDBC) (opens in a new window)July 28, 2018
Following the historic victory, it was the turn of the lightweight men’s quad, lead by UCD’s (opens in a new window)Andrew Goff, to claim silver.
In a dash to the finish line, the Irish crew came from lagging in third place to pushing past the United States to finish second behind race winners Italy.
A student at the School of Engineering and Ad Astra Elite scholar, this is Goff’s second medal at the championships in two years.
Another amazing weekend for UCD Sport & (opens in a new window)@UCDAC_bears at the (opens in a new window)@irishlifehealth National Championships. UCD's (opens in a new window)@ciaramageean took gold in the 800m & 1500m, Claire Mooney took gold in the 400m, (opens in a new window)@markenglish_ gold in the 800m, (opens in a new window)@sarahlavin_ gold in the 100m hurdles. Super! (opens in a new window)pic.twitter.com/8Ep9W7K80Y
— UCD Sports Clubs (@ucdsportsclubs) (opens in a new window)July 30, 2018
Meanwhile at the National Senior Track and Field Championships a trio of Ad Astra Elite athletes affirm their status as best in Ireland.
In a dominant display, Mark English claimed his sixth national athletics title Sunday evening with a gold in the 800m.
The student from the School of Medicine was a semi-finalist in the 800m at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
Ciara Mageean UCD AC takes that in 2:07.93, Maisy O`Sullivan St Abbans A.C 2:09.18 and Iseult O`Donnell Raheny Shamrock A.C. 2:10.04 finishing just behind in 2nd and 3rd respectively at the (opens in a new window)@irishlifehealth National seniors (opens in a new window)#ILHChamps (opens in a new window)pic.twitter.com/frVKCvZcDu
— Athletics Ireland (@irishathletics) (opens in a new window)July 29, 2018
Also taking a fourth national title was Sarah Lavin, of UCD's School of Physiotherapy, in the women’s 100m hurdles.
Stepping up to the winner’s podium too was Claire Mooney, (opens in a new window)UCD Smurfit School, in the women’s 400m, and former Ad Astra member Ciara Mageean, from the School of Physiotherapy, who won both the 800 and 1500m national titles during the games in Santry, Dublin.
By: David Kearns, Digital Journalist / Media Officer, UCD University Relations
