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Men's Sprints
Has there ever been a more exciting time for Irish sprinting?
Taking 4 of
the six medals on offer over 200m & 400m at the AAA's
Championships in
Sheffield last week was the ideal appetiser for this weekend's
National
Championships and with large entries in all the sprints we
are assured some
red hot competition.
This time last year Olympic 200m silver medallist Darren
Campbell ran the
fastest 60m ever seen in Ireland when he blazed home in 6.64
secs. Joining
the Belgrave man this year are a number of distinguished International
sprinters including recently crowned AAA bronze medallist
Dwayne Grant
(6.65 PB), fellow Englishman Clive Turner who last year recorded
a best
time of 6.78 secs as well as Pablo Colville from Chile, a
10.50 100m man.
Local star Paul Brizzel is this season's fastest Irishman
with a
season's best of 6.80. The Ballymena man surprisingly, has
yet to win a
National Indoor title and he will be hard pressed on Saturday
by 2002
Champion Jer O'Donoghue, 1997 Champion Tom Comyns, former
200m Champion
Kevin Cogley as well as the up and coming star Paul Gill of
Carbury AC.
The men's 200m promises to be the race of the weekend with
favourite
Brizzel
hoping to repeat his impressive showing in Sheffied last weekend,
however
he
will find Athenry medical student Paul Hession more than a
handful to deal
with. Hession ran his semi final last weekend in 21.01 secs,
which is the
third fastest time ever run by an Irish man. Adding spice
to the menu is
the news that 400m sensation Rob Daly, who was most impressive
in striking
gold in Sheffield last week is planning to do the one lap
event as is World
400m bronze medallist Paul McKee. With Darren Hough and Tom
Comyns also
making strong claims for a final place Gary Ryan's All-Comers
record of
21.21 looks like it could well be broken on more than one
occasion!
World Indoor finallist David McCarthy looks like being the
hottest of hot
favourites in his favoured 400m event but with the possibility
of a
4x400m relay squad being selected for the World Indoor Championships
Antoine Burke, David Gillick, Daniel Tobin, Paul Opperman
and Eugene
Farrell will all be hoping to impress.
The 60m Hurdles looks like being an exciting three way battle
between
current Irish No. 2 Ian McDonald, and former Champions Trevor
McGlynn and
Paul Tohill. Irish record holder Peter Coghlan will be hoping
to knock the
necessary .15 secs from his 7.90 seasons best in Arkansas
at the same time
to ensure his selection for the World Indoors in 3 weeks time.
 Men's
Distance Events
The withdrawal of World Indoor finallist James Nolan from
the 800m due to
injury has left a void in the event and the favourite now
looks to be
reigning Champion Brendan O'Shea from Olympic AC in Wexford.
A number of
distinguished International guests have also entered including
Kenyan
superstar William Yiampoy, whose best time of 1.45.80 is the
5th fastest
time in the world this year, and Ismail Ahend of Sudan who
boasts a 1:49.39
best indoors. Local athletes Richard Girvan, Annadale Striders,
Raymond
Adams, Lagan Valley and the large contingent from Finn Valley,
North
Belfast Harriers, Glaslough Harriers and Mid Ulster will all
be keen to
impress the home crowd.
The men's 1500m sees the long awaited return of 1999 400m
Champion James
McIllroy to his home province along with fellow NI star Eddie
King. The
27-year-old McIlroy, whose best 1500m time indoors was set
2 years ago with
an impressive 3:48.34. will face tough opposition from the
up-and-coming
teenage sensation Colin Costello from Julianstown, Meath who
took two
silver medals from the European Youth Olympic in Paris over
the Summer.
The 3000m looks set to be a mouth watering competition between
local man
Dermot Donnelly, reigning 1500m Champion Gary Murray and newly
declared NI
athletes Andrew and Allan Graffin. Throw in the Sudanese pair
of Elradi and
Ashak (3:40 1500m PB) and the All-Comers record of 8.08.41
set by Seamus
Power 3 years ago looks like it could well be beaten.
The 5,000m Walk sees Triple Olympic & World Champion
Robert Korzeniowski
making a rare and welcome appearance to Ireland but don't
expect the Pole
to
have everything his own way. Irish No. 1 Robert Heffernan,
who is bidding
for his 7th successive title, is over his injury difficulties
and with a PB
of 18:53.09 set 2 years ago he can be expected to push Korzeniowski
every
step of the way.
Men's Field Events
Adrian O'Dwyer's ultra consistent 2.20m form of late has
been quite
outstanding and the young Kilkenny athlete deserves to make
the
breakthrough into International class very soon; this may
well be the
weekend to do so with British High Jumping Legend Dalton Grant
and
Belorussian Lesnichiy (PB 2.30m) also in the field.
Ciaran McDonagh's absence in the long jump could leave the
way open for
Nenagh's Shane Cullinane to win his first senior title and
Michael McDonald
will be looking to reclaim the triple Jump title after a 4
year absence
with reigning Champion Patrick Shannon not listed among the
starters.
The Pole Vault looks to be the most open its been for years
as neither of
last years joint champions David Donegan & Ruairi O'Brien
appear in the
start list. If this is the case the title could fall to multi
event
specialist Paul Tohill.
Kerry giant Eoin Leen, who came within 6cm of taking Irish
Rugby
International Victor Costello's Championship Best 12 months
ago looks set
to retain his shot put title.
Women's Sprints
Can anyone stop Ciara Sheehy? The West Dubliner has had a
remarkable
monopoly on Irish women's indoor sprinting scene over the
past number of
years amassing an amazing 5 consecutive 60m /200m doubles,
setting
Championship Bests in both 12 months ago.
However the breakthrough at the AAA's last week by both Ailis
McSweeney (Leevale) and local star Anna Boyle means that we
could be in for the most exciting 60m final ever on Saturday.
Watch out for fireworks and the possibility of the legendary
Michelle Carroll's record (7.38) coming
under serious threat.
Over the furlong however, Sheehy has no peers in these parts
and looks a
dead cert to win her 6th consecutive title.
Defending Champion and European Junior silver medallist Joanne
Cuddihy, was
controversially disqualified due to a lane infringement in
Sheffield last
weekend and despite taking a courageous bronze over 200m will
be very keen
to improve her recent WI qualifier of 53.49. 400m Hurdles
specialist
Michelle Carey has made a huge breakthrough this season with
a best of
54.78 and if this form can be reproduced there is a distinct
chance of
a 4x400m relay team being selected for Budapest.
Over the hurdles there is no-one to stop UCD's Olympic-bound
Derval
O'Rourke who goes in search of her 6th successive title.
Women's Distance Events
Without the presence of former Champions Freda Davoren and
Aoife Byrne the
800m looks wide open and the scene could be set for local
star Elizabeth
McWilliams to claim her first title at senior level.
Equally so the women's 1,500m where Ann Marie Larkin will
also be looking
for her first senior indoor crown. Keep an eye out for British
teenage
sensation Charlotte Moore who set a 1.59.75 British Junior
record over 2
years ago.
Maria McCambridge really came of age in Sheffield last weekend
with a
highly impressive 9:02.10 clocking, the third fastest time
ever run by an
Irish woman and on that form will be unbeatable again this
weekend.
World silver medallist Gillian O'Sullivan will be hoping
for a good early
season's opener in the women's 3,000m Walk ahead of the IAAF
GP Challenge
in Mexico in March, as will fellow Athens-bound Olive Loughnane.
Although
her
World Indoor Records stands at 11.35.34 it would be unwise
to keep
expecting that level of performance, especially when the Kerry
woman is
more
focussed on the longer 20km distance for Athens. For proof
that the future
of the event is in safe hands look no further than World Youth
silver
medallist Ann Loughnane who has improved her own National
Junior record
from 14:09 at the beginning of the season to a staggering
13:27.54.
Women's Field Events
The women's High Jump is on a top class level at the moment
and thankfully
the injury problems which have beset Deirdre Ryan are no longer
an issue.
Boasting a seasons best of 1.80m the UCD women looks like
the favourite to
win her third title but done discount the ever green Sharon
Foley Gallen
who is the reigning Champion having won the title on 6 previuos
occasions.
Antoinette Furlong is inching closer and closer to Terri
Horgan's Irish
record of 6.09m all the time, having leaped to 5.95m already
this season
making her the 2nd longest jumper of all time - she will be
expected to win
her
5th title.
The triple jump sees the return of National record Holder
Taneisha
Robinson-Scanlon having last won the title back in 2001. Mary
McLoone and
Mary Devlin, both of whom are developing at an impressive
rate will both be
there to pick up the pieces if Scanlon falters.
Likewise the women's shot where Eva Massey, who is bidding
for her 4th
title set a CBP last year of 16.32m and is edging closer to
the magical 17m
mark all the time.
A small but elite field is entered in the pole vault and
with Erin Kinnear
competing on scholarship in America, Zoe Brown looks set to
comfortably
retain her title.
www.athleticsireland.ie
Source the Athletics Ireland
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