Ireland add dash of youthful talent to experience for Daegu

ATHLETICS:ATHLETICS IRELAND has included a dash of youthful talent in the Irish team for the World Athletics Championships, which begin in Daegu, South Korea, in just under three weeks.

It’s a mostly experienced crew, but 23-year-old Ciarán O’Lionaird will make his major championship debut in the 1,500 metres having secured the A-standard only last week, while 22-year-old Jessie Barr is part of the women’s 400-metre relay team having enjoyed a breakthrough season in the 400m hurdles.

As expected all athletes with the relevant A or B-standards were considered, as unlike for next year’s London Olympics, Athletics Ireland rate the B-standards as meriting selection for Daegu, provided the athlete proved their fitness at Sunday’s National Championships in Santry.

On that basis, 17 athletes will make the trip to South Korea: Derval O’Rourke, with her 12.84 in the 100 metres hurdles, is one of nine athletes to run A-standards this summer, along with Alistair Cragg in the 5,000 metres, Fionnuala Britton and Stephanie Reilly in the 3,000 metres steeplechase, O’Lionaird, and Paul Hession, who clocked 20.51 for the 200 metres in Santry at the weekend.

Three walkers have also qualified with A-standards: Olive Loughnane in the women’s, Rob Heffernan, in the men’s 20km and 50km, and Colin Griffin, who has the men’s 50km standard from last year, and the walk qualification is allowed from 2010, unlike the track events, which needed to be achieved in 2011.

Four other athletes had secured B-standards for Daegu: Jason Smyth (100 metres), Deirdre Ryan (high jump), Tori Pena (pole vault) and Joanne Cuddihy (400 metres) – plus the women’s 4x400-metre relay squad of Marian Heffernan from Togher, Michelle Carey from Dublin Striders, Claire Bergin from Dundrum South Dublin, and Barr, from Ferrybank AC, plus Cuddihy.

Meanwhile UK Athletics head coach Charles van Commenee will today name four realistic gold medal contenders in his team for Daegu.

World and European heptathlon champion Jessica Ennis, Phillips Idowu, who holds both titles in the triple jump, and European 5,000 and 10,000 metres champion Mo Farah are strong favourites for gold in their events.

Dai Greene, the European and Commonwealth 400m hurdles champion, is also among the favourites for the world title in an open race.

Ennis has not lost a heptathlon since returning from the triple stress fracture of her foot which ruled her out of the Beijing Olympics in 2008, while Idowu does not have Teddy Tamgho to contend with as his young French rival is out through injury.

Farah is enjoying the best season of his career after moving to Portland, Oregon, to train under famed distance coach Alberto Salazar and is the world number one over both 5,000 and 10,000 metres.

IRISH TEAM (IAAF World Championships, Daegu, South Korea, August 27th-September 4th): Men: 100m: J Smyth (City of Derry). 200m: P Hession (Athenry AC). 1,500m: C O’Lionaird (Leevale AC). 5,000m: A Cragg (Clonliffe H). 20k Walk: R Heffernan (Togher AC). 50k Walk: Heffernan, C Griffin (Ballinamore AC). Women: 400m: J Cuddihy (Kilkenny CH). 100m Hurdles: D O’Rourke (Leevale). 3,000m Steeplechase: F Britton (Kilcoole AC), S Reilly (Slí Cualann). High Jump: D Ryan (Dundrum SD). Pole Vault: T Pena (Finn Valley AC). 20k Walk: O Loughnane (Loughrea AC). 4 x 400m Relay (from): Cuddihy, M Heffernan (Togher), M Carey (Dublin Striders), C Bergin (Dundrum SD), J Barr (Ferrybank).

Team manager: Patsy McGonagle.