Fermanagh’s Conall Mahon produced a superb last jump as he retained his Irish National Triple Jump title at Morton Stadium, Santry last weekend.

Mahon was sitting in second place with one jump remaining, but he registered 14.68, which drew him level with Jai Benson, but Mahon claimed gold on countback due to his second-best jump being better.

“I’m delighted with it. It probably wasn’t fully expected, going into it, so when you’re not expecting it it is even better to get the win,” said Mahon.

The Irvinestown native had shown good form coming into the championships after lifting the Ulster/NI title the previous week.

“Over the last few week I have been building up. Last week, I had the Ulster/NI Championships, and I won that with a 14.31, which was a season’s best, so I knew I was going in good form and training was going well.

“I knew I was capable of doing a good jump.

“I just targeted a good performance. Going in to it this year it was just to be in the shape to challenge for the title, and then there is not much you can do apart from that.

“You just have to see how the competition goes.”

The weather conditions were tough on the day as the rain pelted down, making life awkward for the athletes before brightening up.

“The weather was horrible for the first three jumps – there were puddles on the track and it was very, very windy. It was some of the windiest conditions that I have ever jumped in, but it brightened up for the last three jumps,” said Conall.

Mahon began the competition well to lead after three jumps.

“My first jump was a nice safe one – it was a 13.80 – and I just built all along through the competition and I was in first through the first three jumps.”

However, he found himself in second place coming into the last jump, but when the pressure was on, he produced the goods.

“I was in second place coming into the very last of the competition, and I gave it my all.

‘Pressure’

“There was a lot of pressure, but to me that is the most enjoyable part about athletics.

“You get that bit of adrenalin, especially if you know it could go well or might not. The only thing in my head was just to give it my all and if it didn’t come off, it didn’t come off, but thankfully it did.

“I jumped 14.68, which was actually even with second place but in athletics they do a thing called countback so if it is a draw, your second best jump then is counted, and I had two centimetres better than the guy in second so it was very tight,” he explained.

The win made it back-to-back national titles for Conall but this one was more enjoyable, he felt.

“With Covid-19 last year there was a lot of restrictions but this year I had my family and girlfriend down with me and we could take photographs and that afterwards, and that just made it even more special,” he added.

That’s the national title in the bag, but there is still plenty of action lying ahead for the Fermanagh man in the coming weeks.

“I’ve a competition next week in Bournemouth and I think I can even improve on Sunday, and then my club – Tir Chonaill AC in Donegal, where I am club captain – are in the national league and hopefully we can get promoted,” he commented.