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©INPHO/Morgan Treacy
2012 Olympics

London, baby: Pena qualifies for Olympic pole vault

The American-born pole vaulter hit the Olympic A standard in California on Saturday.

TORI PENA IS going to London.

Pena, 24, became Ireland’s first-ever athlete to qualify for the Olympic pole vault when she won the Beach Track and Field Classic at Cerritos College, California on Saturday.

Pena cleared the Olympic A standard of 4.50m to take home gold, and very nearly cleared 4.60m on two subsequent attempts.

Her qualification takes the total number of Irish track and field qualifiers for this summer’s games to 14.

“Lots of things are coming together with my vault,” Pena said afterwards. “I’m very pleased and 60+ should be very doable this outdoor season.”

Pena was born in California, but is eligible to represent Ireland through her grandmother from Derry.

Elsewhere over the weekend, Irish 400m record holder Joanne Cuddihy won the Melbourne Track Classic with a time of 52.37. Her sister Catriona set a new personal best of 55.83 when she finished fourth in Race 1.

In America, Ciarán Ó Lionáird continued his preparations for next weekend’s World Indoor Championships in Istanbul with an 800m run at the Wilson Notre Dame Invitational. O’Lionaird set a new PB of 1:48.40 to finish second.

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