By Damian Lawlor in Rieti
Young Monaghan woman Tara Laverty (Carrick Aces) has had a string of quality performances in discus throwing competitions throughout 2026. Since February she has surpassed the qualifying standard Athletics Ireland set for the European U18 Championships in all eight of of the competitions she has taken part in. She threw the discus over 45 metres in distance in each of those competitions. Tara has had significant international success already in her short career having won the SIAB Schools International in Derby last year.
So today when she entered the throwing cage in the Guidobaldi stadium here in Rieti for Qualification Group A Tara looked cool and collected which was quite the achievement when you consider the temperature at the time was 35 degrees.
To qualify for the final Tara needed to have a throw of over 48.50m or to finish in top twelve positions after the two qualification groups were concluded. With thirty nine athletes competing for those twelve positions it was quite the challenge.
No problem for Tara who with one throw secured qualification. Her throw of 49.46m not only a new an automatic qualifying distance and a personal best but also a new national U18 record. Tara had certainly thrown down the gauntlet to the other competitors.