In South Africa for warm weather training, Eva Massey made a return to competition and passed the Commonwealth Games Standard by putting 15.78m at a meeting in Potchefstroom. The distance was 37cm behind her personal best of 16.15m set in 2003 and follows several operations due to a persistent wrist injury. Her career has often appeared to be under threat in recent years with putting causing her considerable pain.She beat top British thrower Jo Duncan by 28cm in the South African meeting and her mark was also beyond the Commonwealth Games standard of 15.30m. She becomes the third Northern Ireland athlete to achieve the Games Standard in the qualifying period and the first to exceed it outdoors. The Games will be held in Melbourne in March.
