Big Dan storms to victory in first ever Octathlon

Pictured above: Brain Doyle (Runner Up) and Dan Fitzpatrick (winner)

Click on continue reading for full octathlon report.

Clondalkin club captain Dan Fitzpatrick won the clubs first ever Octathlon event last Saturday afternoon.

The event was originally organized as a final fun day before serious pre season training begins but the level of fitness shown by all over the eight events has really encouraged ‘Big’ Dan.

Fitzpatrick lead by example and won the event whilst vice Captain Brian ‘Bruiser’ Doyle came in a close second.

After the eight events, the 100m sprint, 800m run, longest kick, longest throw, keg lift, most push-ups in 1 minute, farmer’s walk and the van pull Fitzpatrick was crowned Clondalkin’s inaugural Octahlon Champion.

The big lock however was more content that fun competition provided enough evidence to prove the players have been working hard during the off season.

“Today was about getting together and having fun. That is never a problem here and credit to Sid Stapleton and Bruiser it was a great and fun day. We will certainly look to keep it up as a yearly event,” Dan explained.

“I am happy to have won it because it proves I am still fit before training starts. I have been working hard and looking at the lads it seems they have been too. This is going to be a defining year for the club. We have targeted top spot in what is a tough division and our pre season regime will reflect our ambition. So it was great to see so many players fighting fit.”

Whilst it was a case of Captain Fantastic for the first team captains second team captain Kev Cullen failed to win any of the eight events. Despite shaving his legs for aerodynamic purposes the Polar Bear failed to qualify for the 100m final but only a rip of his shorts during the van pull prevented him from beating Doyle.

Meanwhile Clon’s record try scorer Paul Fitzgerald and his would be successor Gaz Donnelly had an interesting battle throughout the exciting day. Both were equally matched in the kicking contest but Donnelly defeated former sprinter and Clon Hall Of Famer Fitzgerald over 100m twice!

The youngest of the Fitzgerald speedsters, Pete, has since declared to restore family pride by taking first in next years 100m race.

Meanwhile one event in which the young pretenders literally failed to out gun the experienced campaigner was the push ups event. 46 year old former first team captain Eamon ‘Yambo’ Stapleton obliterated all before him and romped to victory an event most believed would be contested by Fitzpatrick and Doyle.

Other individual winners were Chris Kelly, who won the 800 meters by a 700meter margin and Simon King, but special mention should go to Karl Horan, who battled so hard in the muscle biased events he regurgitated his breakfast TWICE!

Added by Murts July 13, 2009 (8:21AM)

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