Seven Beijing hopefuls line up in Leiria and Tallinn

ATHLETICS/EUROPEAN CUP:WITH THE Beijing Olympics now a mere seven weeks away it's hard to get excited about the European Cup, a competition that doesn't create much excitement to begin with. Only seven of Ireland's 13 Olympic qualifiers are in action this weekend, and their main priority will be avoiding any silly injuries.

However, this particular edition of the European Cup is exceptional in that it's the last of the current format, and the results will determine the positions for next year's new European Team Championships. The European Cup has undergone many changes in its 43-year history and 28 previous editions, but it badly needed a complete overhaul. That will happen next summer, as the new Team Championship will see both men and women represented as one team, and scored accordingly.

Central to the overhaul is an expansion of the number of teams competing in the top divisions (from eight to 12), while the overall winning team will be decided on a combined total of both men and women's individual results. The competition will consist of the standard 20 track and field events for both men and women, meaning 40 different results will combine to see an overall winning team crowned team champions of Europe.

The top level will consist of the best 12 teams in Europe: the main European Team Championships. There will also be a First League, consisting of the next 12 teams in Europe; a Second League, for the next eight teams in Europe; and the Third League, consisting of all the remaining teams.

Ireland shouldn't be too far away from making the main event, but that will mean maximising their potential this weekend in the last of the old format competitions. The Irish women's team are currently in the First League Group A, which takes place tomorrow and Sunday in Leiria, Portugal, with their opponents being Belgium, Czech Republic, Spain, Finland, Lithuania, the Netherlands and hosts Portugal.

Among those seeking winning points will be Joanne Cuddihy (400 metres), Róisín McGettigan (3,000 metres steeplechase) and Eileen O'Keeffe (hammer), while Derval O'Rourke's season's best of 12.90 seconds in the 100 metre hurdles is unlikely to match Spain's Josephine Onyia, who recently ran 12.50.

The Ireland men were last year relegated to the Second League Group A, which takes place in Tallinn, Estonia - with their opposition being Iceland, Bulgaria, Lithuania, Denmark, Luxemburg, Latvia, and hosts Estonia. Paul Hession ran his Irish record 10.18 seconds in last year's competition and will hope to go close to that again here; David Gillick drops down the 200 metres; and Paul McKee runs the 400 metres.

Both Ireland teams will also be using the competitions to push their 4x400 metre relay times closer to the Olympic qualifying range, but at the moment that still seems unlikely.

The selection of the teams for next year's new format is based on the performances of the participants in all the leagues/groups, who will be ranked per event, which effectively means this weekend is all about the performance, not the result. A little more exciting than usual, then.

Ireland teams, European Cup: Men (June 21st-22nd) in Tallinn: 100m: P Hession (Athenry). 200m: D Gillick (Dundrum). 400m: P McKee (Beechmount). 800m: D McCarthy (Crusaders). 1,500m: D McCarthy (W Waterford). 3,000m: M Christie (Mullingar). 5,000m: C Ó Lionaird (Leevale). 3,000m Chase: R Chesser (Ennis TC). 110m Hurdle: I McDonald (Crusaders). 400 Hurdle: T Carey (Derry AC). High Jump: C Crowley (Belgooly). Pole Vault: D Donegan (Clonliffe). Long Jump: S Fleming (Crusaders). Triple Jump: D Finnegan (Spa Muckross). Shot: S Breathnach (Galway CH). Discus: J Harper (N Down). Javelin: M McConkey (N Down). Hammer: P White (UCD). 4x100m: Hession, J Smith (Derry), P Brizzel (Ballymena). D Graham (Slí Chulainn), S Fleming (Crusaders). 4 x 400m: Gillick, McKee, G Kennedy (Tullamore), B Doyle (Finn Valley), B Murphy (UCC); Team manager: P McGonagle.

Women (June 21st-22nd, Lieria): 100m: A McSweeney (Leevale). 200m: A Foster (North Down AC). 400m: J Cuddihy (UCD). 800m: K Reid (Lisburn). 1,500m: D Byrne (Sli Chulainn). 3,000m: F Britton (Sli Chulainn). 5,000m: M McCambridge (Dundrum). 3,000m Chase: R McGettigan (Sli Chulainn). 100m Hurdle: D O'Rourke (Leevale). 400m Hurdle: M Carey (Dublin S). High Jump: D Ryan (Camelot AC). Pole Vault: C Wilkinson (Ballymena). Long Jump: K Proper (Waterford). Triple Jump: M McLoone (Tír Chonaill). Shot: A Hickey (Kilkenny CH). Discus: C Fitzgerald (Tralee Hrs). Javelin: A White (Dublin S). Hammer: E O'Keeffe (Kilkenny CH). 4x100m Relay: McSweeney, O'Rourke, Proper, A Foster (N Down), C Brady (Celbridge). 4x400m: Cuddihy, Carey, K Shinkins (DCH), B Furlong (Slaney), M Andrews (Togher). Manager: Max Jones.