As days go, they don’t come much bigger than this for Lifford Strabane AC hammer thrower, Brendan O’Donnell.
O’Donnell makes his senior international debut representing Ulster and Northern Ireland at Sports City, Manchester this evening in the Manchester International Meeting against teams from England, Scotland, Wales and Iceland.
Before that, there is the small matter of opening up his Leaving Certificate results which will determine where he will pursue his academic studies and athletics career.
Attention will quickly turn, however, to this evening’s meet in Manchester where O’Donnell will face quality opposition from Scotland’s Chris Bennett and Iceland’s Hilmar Õrn Jónsson both of whom competed at last year’s World Athletics Championships in London.
Recently crowned World Junior Champion, Jake Norris is also in the field as are England’s Craig Murch and current Welsh champion Jac Palmer with bests of 70.47m and 68.23m respectively.
O’Donnell is the only Donegal representative on the 22 person Ulster and Northern Ireland team and the experience of this evening’s competition should stand greatly to him as he sets out on his senior career.
The action this evening gets underway at 4pm with O’Donnell entering the hammer cage at 6pm.
