Boyne AC athlete Sean Stratton did his club, school and country proud in his international debut
To represent your country in your sport is one of the biggest achievements of any athlete’s career, and an opportunity that only a chosen few will be lucky enough to be given.
With this in mind, Boyne AC athlete Sean Stratton grasped his opportunity with both hands when it presented itself, and did his club, school and country proud in his international debut last weekend.
A talented sprinter, and the recently crowned All Ireland u17 Irish Champion over 100m, and the All Ireland 200m silver medallist, Sean is no stranger when it comes to the major athletics events, always giving it 110% and always with a smile.
Having been cancelled in 2020, the annual Irish Schools Athletics competitions were given the green light to proceed, albeit somewhat later in the year than usual, culminating in the Tailteann Games, where the top two athletes are selected to represent Ireland in the SIAB International Games, a schools competition against England, Scotland and Wales.
With two rounds of qualification for selection for the Irish team packed in to just two weeks, the pressure was on for Sean to continue his recent fine run of form and ensure a top spot in each round and secure his selection to don the Irish vest.
A win in the Leinster Schools competition, followed by a second place in the Talteann games was enough to book his seat on the plane to Derbyshire, in England, where on Saturday last, he took to the start line of the 100m sprint in the green vest of Ireland.
Schools athletics age groups differ from those in the Athletics Association of Ireland, and so Sean faced tough competition against some athletes who were more than a year older than him, and this proved to be a decisive factor in the outcome of the race, with Sean finishing 7th overall.
Running a super quick 11.32, just outside his PB though, was certainly not a result to be disappointed with, with the top five finishers all running sub 11 seconds! With Sean also running the second leg of the 4 x 100m relay, the Irish team were unlucky to medal, finishing 4th overall.
A great role model to the younger members of Boyne AC, Sean is undoubtedly one to watch for the future, and will certainly be getting great use out of that Irish Vest for years to come!
