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UCD's Israel Olatunde undisputedly fastest Irishman with National Indoor Championships victory

Posted 20 February, 2023

UCD Ad Astra sprinter Israel Olatunde is emphatically the fastest Irishman, having set a new 60m Irish indoor record at National Indoor Athletics Championships.

The European 100 metre finalist from last August clocked in a new national record of 6.57 seconds, a time that sits among the top-eight in Europe.

The stellar performance from the 20-year smashed the previously held record of Paul Hession, which had stood for 16 years, and bodes well ahead of the European Indoor Championships in March.

This is the second time the UCD Computer Science student has broken a national record set by the former Irish international track and field star, having beaten Hession’s then 15-year-old record last year during Israel’s historic race at the 100m at the European Championships.

With this latest achievement, the Dundalk sprinter now holds both the 60m and outdoor 100m national records.

Also delivering a stunning performance at the National Indoor Athletics Championships was fellow Ad Astra athlete Darragh McElhinney, who defended his national indoor men's 3000m title with a 7.49.18 championship record.

Former UCD track ace Mark English also earned his ninth national indoor title at the Championships, winning the men’s 800m final with a time of 1.52.47.

By: David Kearns, Digital Journalist / Media Officer, UCD University Relations

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