Irish Team Announced for the European Athletics Team Champs
.jpg)
European Medallist Mark English (UCD AC), Irish 400m hurdles record holder Thomas Barr (Ferrybank AC) and multiple Irish national champion Kelly Proper (Ferrybank AC) spearhead a strong Irish team for the European Athletics Team Championships (1st League). The competition takes place in Heraklion, Greece from the 20th-21st of June with the Irish team competing against Greece, Belgium, Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Portugal, Romania, Switzerland and Turkey. The Irish team placed seventh in this event last year when the competition was held in Tallinn, Estonia. The top three countries at the end of the two day competition will gain promotion to the super league in 2016.
Full team available to view here: Irish Team
European Leader
Barr currently sits top of the European rankings in the 400m hurdles after setting a new Irish record of 48.65 seconds at the Diamond League meeting in Rome on the 4th of June. Kariem Hussein (Switzerland) and Rasmus Magi (Estonia) are currently ranked second and third in Europe with times of 48.76 and 49.14 respectively. Both Hussein’s and Magi’s countries are set to compete in Crete therefore the men’s 400m hurdles is likely to be one of the races of the weekend.
Multiple European medallist Mark English (UCD AC) goes in the 800m for team Ireland where he will be targeting maximum points. English is currently ranked eighth in Europe (1.45.83) and with none of the athletes ahead of him competing in the 1st league in Crete; English will be quietly confident o securing maximum points. Multiple national champion Kelly Proper is selected in the 200m after an encouraging 23.26 clocking in Genève on the 6th of June. 2015 European Indoor 1500m finalist John Travers (Donore Harriers AC) goes in the 3,000m event as fellow Prague teammate Adam McMullen (Crusaders AC) lines up in the long jump.
Middle Distance Squad
Ciara Everard (UCD AC) broke new ground at a meeting in Oordegem on the 23rd May when she ran a new personal best of 2.01.20 in the 800m. Everard is likely to go well in that event in Crete and is joined by Kerry O’Flaherty (Newcastle & District AC) – 1500m and Sarah Treacy (Dunboyne AC) making up a strong middle distance squad. Kevin Batt (Dundrum South Dublin AC) tops the Irish rankings with a time of 13.39.61 for the 5,000m competes in that event in Crete with John Coghlan (MSB AC) making his international debut in the 3,000m steeplechase.
Claire Fitzgerald (Tralee Harriers AC) doubles up in the discus and shot putt events as Sean Breathnach (Galway City Harriers AC) goes in the shot putt and Colin Quirke (Crusaders AC) in the discus.
Timetable
Action gets underway in Crete on Saturday at 2pm IRL time with the men’s hammer and concludes on Sunday, 21st of June with the 4x400m relay at 6.24pm (IRL time).