Mallow AC athlete Michael Kiely is no stranger to international success, and this week the 80-year-old runner from Shanballymore added another medal to his packed trophy cabinet when he won a gold medal for the 800 metres track race at the 2025 WMA World Indoor Championships, held in Gainesville, Florida.
Michael scorched around the track to post a time of 3:09:35 for 800 metres, finishing nearly four seconds ahead of the second-placed athlete, a remarkable achievement. This win follows a recent international event where he was a member of the Ireland 4x800m team which smashed the world record by two and a half minutes.
After his win in Florida, Michael revealed that, while he doesn’t train on a championship track, apart from his own back garden when his wife mows the grass, he trains six days a week and is always trying to improve.
Congratulations to Michael on another gold medal success, with hopefully many more to come.