Brendan O’Donnell hits European Youth standard – again!

BRENDAN O’DONNELL THREW the hammer beyond the European Youth standard mark for the sixth time this season on Saturday in Cork.

The Lifford-Strabane AC man reached out to 64.82 metres to win the youth’s hammer at the Leevale Open Meet.

Athletics Ireland have set the standard for the hammer throw at 63.50m, but O’Donnell has made light of the mark now half-a-dozen times.

Last wekeend in Donegal town at an Open Meet was his best to date, a throw of 67.14 that is the 11^th furthest hammer throw in European and 20^th in the world at youth level this season.

O’Donnell, a transition year student at St Eunan’s College, was one of three Donegal athletes to hit European Youth Olympic Festival (EYOF) standards this weekend with Finn Valley AC pair Aaron McGlynn and Arlene Crossan also hitting the high notes.

O’Donnell is coached by his father, John, and Cavan-based Neil Williams.

Last year, O’Donnell competed in the hammer at the EYOF in Georgia, where he finished seventh, his performance having been inhibited by a bout of food poisoning while in Tbilisi.

O’Donnell – who has won the last four All-Ireland juvenile titles, not to mention two Irish Schools and two Tailteann Games titles – is now aiming to get back to Tbilisi for the inaugural European Youth Athletics Championships.