Three late additions brings Ireland squad to 33 for Barcelona

ATHLETICS NEWS:THERE ARE three late additions to the Irish team for the European Athletics Championships, which get under way in the Olympic Stadium in Barcelona this day week. UCD sprinter Steven Colvert will join Paul Hession in the 200 metres, and Rory Chesser of Ennis Track Club will join Thomas Chamney in the 1,500 metres, as both achieved the qualifying times over the weekend.

Colin Griffin has also been entered in the 50km walk, although he is still subject to a final fitness test, so that brings to 33 the final number of Irish athletes set to make the trip.

Nearly half of those will be in action next Tuesday, on the opening day, and the hope is they’ll still be there later in the week.

Colvert clocked a lifetime best of 20.90 seconds as a guest in the Belgian championships, just inside the 21.00 qualifying mark, and also ran a best of 10.62 in the 100 metres. Chesser, who this month won the national title over the 3,000 metres steeplechase, ran 3:40.08 at the Karlstad meeting in Sweden, also just inside the 3:41.0 he needed to make it to Barcelona.

Griffin has been nursing a hamstring injury, and missed the national championships. In the meantime, he will be entered in the 50km walk, but according to Irish team manager Patsy McGonagle, a decision on his participation would not be made until next week.

Ailis McSweeney, as expected, has been entered in the 100 metres, along with the 100-metre relay team. The Cork sprinter last week broke one of the longest-standing records in Irish athletics, running 11.40 in Liége, Belgium, to eclipse the old mark of 11.43, set 32 years ago by Michelle Carroll-Walsh.

McSweeney’s time was inside the qualifying standard of 11.50; it is just reward for the 27-year-old, who also won the Irish title in Santry convincingly, and has credited her improved form to coaches Seán and Terri Cahill, who also work with Derval O’Rourke.

On Sunday, O’Rourke ran a season-best of 12.96 for the 100 metres hurdles in Lignano, Italy, which moves her up to 11th on the European ranking list. However, there is now considerable doubt whether defending champion Susanna Kallur of Sweden will compete, thus improving O’Rourke’s chances of repeating the silver medal won in Gothenburg four years ago.

There will be the maximum three Irish representatives in the men’s 400 metres, with David Gillick, Brian Gregan and Gordon Kennedy achieving the standard.

Gillick is still ranked second on the European list for the season with 44.95, run in the same Barcelona stadium, and behind the 44.77 of Jonathan Borlee of Belgium.

A number of athletes have been named in more than one event but will wisely concentrate on one; Hession is focusing on the 200 metres, Cuddihy on the 400 metres, Chamney on the 1,500 metres and Alistair Cragg on the 5,000 metres.

EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS IRISH TEAM

Barcelona July 27th-August 1st.

MEN – 100m:Jason Smyth (City of Derry), Paul Hession (Athenry AC). 200m: Hession, Steven Colvert (UCD). 400m: David Gillick (Dundrum SD), Gordon Kennedy (Tullamore), Brian Gregan (Clonliffe). 800m: Dave McCarthy (Le Cheile), Thomas Chamney (Crusaders). 1,500m: Alistair Cragg (Clonliffe), Chamney, Rory Chesser (Ennis Track Club), 5,000m: Cragg, Mark Christie (Mullingar). 20km walk: Robert Heffernan (Togher AC), Jamie Costin (W Waterford). 50km walk: Heffernan, Colin Griffin (Ballinamore AC). 400m relay: Gillick, Gregan, Kennedy, Brian Murphy (UCC), McCarthy.

WOMEN – 100m:Ailish McSweeney (Leevale), 200m: Niamh Whelan (Ferrybank AC), Joanne Cuddihy (Kilkenny CH). 400m: Cuddihy. 800m: Roseann Galligan (Newbridge AC). 3,000m Steeplechase: Fionnuala Britton (Sli Chulainn), Stephanie Reilly (Sli Cualainn). 100m Hurdles: Derval O'Rourke (Leevale). 400m Hurdles: Justine Kinney (Loughborough), Brona Furlong (Slaney Olympic), Michelle Carey (Dublin Striders). High Jump: Deirdre Ryan (Dundrum SD). Long Jump: Kelly Proper (Ferrybank AC). Pole Vault: Tori Pena (Finn Valley AC). 20km walk: Olive Loughnane (Loughrea AC). 100m relay: Whelan, O'Rourke, Proper, McSweeney, Claire Brady (Celbridge AC), Amy Foster (Ballymena and Antrim). 400m relay: Cuddihy, Carey, Kinney, Furlong, Marian Heffernan (Togher), Claire Bergin (DSD).