Sprints Preview
100m
In the Men’s 100m reigning national champion and Ireland’s number one ranked athlete, Jason Symth (City of Derry) who has a seasonal best of 10.24 will be the race favourite. Double paralympian champion made it to semi-final stages at the European Track and Field Championships. He will have to contend with the newly crowned U23 Irish Record Holder, Steven Colvert who has run 10.35 this year. His training partner and Irish Record holder, Paul Hession (Athenry AC) will also be one to beat. Bronze Medallist from 2012 Dean Adams (Ballymena & Antrim), David Hynes (Menapians AC) who has set a personal best this year of 10.49 and U23 national champion Oliver Black (St. Coca’s AC) will all also be in the mix
In the Women’s 100m reigning champion and current number one ranked Amy Foster (City of Lisburn AC) will be race favourite. Foster ran 11.58 in the heats of European Track and Field championships close to her season’s best of 11.50. The battle for the other medal positions will be between U23 athletes; Catherine McManus (Celtic DCH) who has set a personal best of 11.74 this year and Niamh Whelan (Ferrybank AC), with Junior athletes Phil Healy (Bandon AC) and Cliodhna Manning (KCH) also likely to be in contention.
200m
In the Men’s 200m Steven Colvert (Crusaders AC) who has run the fastest time in Ireland for the 200m this year (20.57) setting a new Irish U23 record will face tough opposition from reigning National 200m champion and Irish Record Holder Paul Hession (Athenry AC). At the European Championships Hession made the final but was disappointed not to have improved on his sixth place finish from two years ago. Colvert plans to compete at Meeting international de la province de Liége in Belgium on Thursday in a bid to achieve the Olympic standard of 20.55 which he has come agonisingly close to.
With Jason Smyth most likely opting for the 100m only and Irish Youth Record Holder Marcus Lawlor on route to the World Juniors, David Hynes (Menapians A.C) should be in the medal hunt. Hynes has had an impressive year to date setting personal best both indoors (21.86) and outdoors (21.34). Paul McKee (Beechmount Harriers A.C), Dara Kerwick (Carrick-on-Suir) and Chris Russell (Ferrybank AC) will also be in contention.
Irish 400m Record Holder Joanne Cuddihy will most likely line up in the Women’s 200m. Cuddihy is ranked number one this season with a time of 23.64. Amy Foster (City of Lisburn AC) the national champion from 2011 has a season’s best of 23.97. There should also be a good battle between Steffi Creaner (Celtic DCH AC) and Niamh Whelan (Ferrybank AC). Creaner got the better of Whelan at the U23 championships but Whelan has a faster seasonal and personal best. Cliodhna Manning (KCH) is also likely to be in the mix.
400m
Irish 400m Record Holder, Joanne Cuddihy will be the clear favourite in the women’s 400m. There will be a real battle with rest of the members of the women’s 4×400m Irish squad competing for the minor places. Marian Heffernan (Togher AC) has a season’s best of 53.19 just off her personal best of 53.10 that she set at last year’s national championships. Michelle Carey (Dublin Striders AC) has run a seasonal best of 53.31 while Claire Bergin (DSD AC) has set a personal best of 53.66 this year. Catriona Cuddihy (KCH), sister of Joanne has run 54.59 and will both be looking to make their mark. Jessie Barr (Ferrybank AC) has run a personal best of 53.70 recently but is likely to opt for the 400m Hurdles while Joanna Mills (Ballymena and Antrim) won’t be lining up as she will on route to the World Junior Championships.
In the Men’s 400m Irish Record Holder, David Gillick (Dundrum South Dublin AC) will not be lining up after calling an end to his season due to constant struggles with injuries. While Brian Gregan of (Clonliffe Harriers AC) will also not be on the start line as he will be competing in Europe over the weekend in a bid to secure the Olympic Standard of 45.30. Gregan was a European finalist and ran a personal best 45.63 in round one at the championships.
The 2011 champion Brian Murphy (Crusaders AC) will be race favourite having set a personal best of 46.58 this year. Tim Crowe ( Dooneen AC) and Eoin Mulhall (Crusaders AC) will also be in the mix.
Sprint Hurdles
In the Men’s 110m Hurdles, the National Champion from 2011 and U23 Record Holder Ben Reynolds (North Down AC) will be not be competing as he had to withdrew from the European Track and Field Championships due to injury. The silver and bronze medallist from last year Ian McDonald (Crusaders AC) and Simon Taggart (TCD AC) will battle it out for honours. Taggart set a personal best of 14.91 at the AAI Games and McDonald has a season’s best of 14.36.
European Silver medalist Derval O’Rourke (Leevale AC) will compete in the 100m hurdles and will be looking for an impressive tenth title to add to her collection. As part of her build up towards the London Games, O’Rourke plans to compete in Belgium on Thursday and Dusseldorf on Saturday prior to the championships. The number two ranked Sarah Lavin (Emerald AC) will not line as she will be on route in the World Junior Championships. Mairead Murphy (Ferrybank AC), Catherine McManus (Celtic DCH) will battle it out for the minor places.
400m Hurdles
The Men’s 400m Hurdles in 2011 proved to be one of the highlight races of the championships. This year Thomas Barr (Ferrybank AC) will be race favourite. Barr ran impressively at the recent European Championships finishing in fifth place in a season’s best of 50.22 in the semi-final, the second quickest time of his career behind the national junior record of 50.05, which he set at the National Championships last year. Jason Harvey (Crusaders AC) who competed recently at the European Championships will also be in contention along with Tim Crowe who has a season’s best of 52.42 and Paul Byrne (St.Abban’s AC) with a season’s best of 52.59.
Jessie Barr (Ferrybank AC), sister of Thomas will dominate the Women’s 400m hurdles. Barr impressed in her senior debut at the European championships to make the women’s 400m hurdles final after a brilliant run in her semi-final where she set a new personal best of 55.93. The Waterford woman is hoping to race in two meets prior to the championships in an effort to secure the Olympic standard of 55.50.
Justine Kinney (Loughborough University) and Emma Peters (DSD AC) will battle it out for the minor places
