Ciaran O’Lionaird will be hoping to show the Irish public he is back to full fitness when he races in the Cork Airport sponsored men’s mile race in tomorrow night’s Cork City Sports International Pre-Olympic meet at the CIT Athletic Stadium.

O’Lionaird is using tomorrow’s feature race at the Cork City Sports as part of his final preparations before he heads to London for the Olympic Games.

He faces tough opposition from Australian Ryan Gregson, who is the race favourite, Jon Rankin, Cayman Islands and Peter van der Westhuizen from South Africa in a race that returns to the sports for the first time in years replacing the 1500m.

The four lap event was very popular in Cork 20 to 30 years ago when legends such as John Walker, Steve Ovett, Eamon Coghlan, Steve Cram, Marcus O’Sullivan and the great Sidney Maree from the USA, who still holds the meet record of 3:49:44 set in 1982, regularly participated.

O’Lionaird, who was the Irish star at last year’s World Championships in Korea will welcome the opportunity to test himself in front of his home fans.

O’Lionaird will be joined at tomorrow night’s star-studded event by fellow Irish Olympians, Rob Heffernan, Olive Loughnane, Marian Heffernan, Jessie Barr, Fionnuala Britton, Catriona Cuddihy, Joanne Cuddihy, and Stephanie Reilly.

“I appeal to the Cork sporting public to turn out in large numbers of see off our Irish Olympians tomorrow night,” Cork City Sports chairman Tony O’Connell said.

“This is the final chance you will get to see them in action before they appear on our TV screens over the next few weeks when they are in action in London.

“Why not come out to the CIT track tomorrow night and give them the send off they deserve.”

Tickets for the Cork City Sports International Pre-Olympic meet can be purchased on the night at CIT or from Tony O’Connell, North Main Street or any Maher’s shop and cost 10 euro for ground and 15 euro for the stand.

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