Israel Olatunde Sets New Irish 100m Record

Israel Olatunde set a new Irish 100m record by clocking 10.12 seconds at the NEB Open in London, surpassing his previous record of 10.17 seconds achieved in the 2022 European Championships. The 22-year-old sprinter outpaced British athletes Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake and Stephen Baffour, who finished in 10.14 and 10.17 seconds, respectively. This achievement marks a significant return to form for Olatunde after a challenging 2023, where he missed Olympic qualification and struggled in earlier competitions. His latest performance positions him within striking distance of breaking the 10-second barrier, igniting hopes for Irish sprinting on the world stage. Olatunde, coached by Daniel Kilgallon, has amassed seven national senior titles and has shown consistent improvement leading up to this event. His time of 10.12 seconds would have placed him fourth in this year’s European final.