The Irish Times/VHI Sportswoman of the
Month: When Joanne Cuddihy won her first
Irish Times/Vhi Healthcare monthly award last year our
athletics anorak forecast that "it's unlikely to be her last",
sensing that the Kilkenny woman "had something about her".
Back then Cuddihy was honoured for doing the 200 and 400 metres' double at the national championships, running two personal bests, her 400 metres time moving her to second on the Irish all-time women's list.
Well, as it turns out, our athletics anorak wasn't wrong: Cuddihy takes our August 2007 award after a performance at the World Championships in Osaka that underlined her promise.
Running in her first World Championships, the 23-year-old medical student became the first Irish woman to run under 51 seconds in the 400 metres, her time of 50.73 beating Karen Shinkins' eight-year-old Irish record of 51.07.
The time gave Cuddihy a fourth-place finish in the semi-finals, but the line-up was formidable, amongst her opponents the 2003 champion Ana Guevara of Mexico, American Natasha Hastings and Jamaica's Novlene Williams, all runners of the highest quality. She was also drawn in lane eight, which simply added to the mountain she had to climb.
In the end, Cuddihy missed out on reaching the final, finishing 11th fastest in the event, with just the eight going through to the final. "Ah sure, right now, to be honest, I don't know if I could run another race," she laughed, when told she wouldn't make it through as one of the fastest losers.
"I was within touching distance of a place in the final, and the level here is pretty much the exact same as the Olympics," she said. "I'll get so much more confidence out of this, and if I come back stronger next year, then there's no reason why I can't get in there," she said, referring to next year's Olympic Games.
"I was delighted with fourth. I mean I wouldn't have put money on myself to get fourth," she said. "I would have been gutted if I didn't get the record. I knew I had it in me."
Cuddihy gave some indication of her potential when she took silver at the European junior championships in 2003, but was at first mystified by her struggle to improve the following year - until glandular fever was diagnosed. After that two knee operations hampered her progress, but she was philosophical about it all. "I suppose what doesn't kill you makes you stronger," she said.
Beijing is now in her sights, her development and steady progress convincing her that she can make it to the final there, putting her amongst the world's elite in her event. If she succeeds you can be certain this award won't be her last.
Monthly winners
January:Marie Breen (basketball) Captained Glanmire to victory in the Superleague National Cup final against UL - scored 29 points and was named the final's 'Most Valuable Player'.
February:Chloe Magee (badminton) The Swedish-based Donegal teenager helped Ireland to the Helvetia Cup final and won the singles and doubles titles at the national championships.
March:Nina Carberry (horse racing): Two years after becoming the first woman since 1987 to win a professional race at the Cheltenham Festival Carberry did it again, winning the Sporting Index Handicap Chase on Heads Onthe Ground.
April:Emma Byrne (soccer): One of the stars on the Arsenal women's team that won every competition they entered last season, including the Uefa Cup.
May:Lisa and Leona Maguire (golf): The 12-year-old twins from Cavan shared our award after Leona won the Hermitage Scratch Cup and Lisa reached the semi-finals of the Irish Close.
June:Jessica Kürten (equestrian): Dropped out of the world top 10 after a quiet start to the year but embarked on a run of form in April that lifted her back to third.
July:Eileen O'Keeffe (athletics): The hammer thrower broke the 70-metre mark five times at the National Championships, and won her seventh successive title. She was sixth at the World Championships.
