Team Ireland boosted with more additions for World Championships

Irish team boosted with addition of four athletes for the World Track and Field Championships

The Irish team has been boosted with the addition of four athletes for the World Track and Field Championships in Beijing on the 22nd-30th of August who have been invited under the new IAAF quota system. 

Kelly Proper (Ferrybank) in the 200m, Ciara Everard (UCD) in the 800m, Sara Treacy (Dunboyne) in the 3,000m steeplechase, and Ben Reynolds (North Down) in the 110m hurdles have all qualified under the new criteria. All four will be making their outdoor championship debut at this level.  

Quota system

The key element of the new system is that the IAAF established the ideal number of athletes (and relay teams) to start in each event of the championships and ensured that such ideal numbers were met through a qualification system which, essentially, combines entry standards (only one standard) and invitations based on performance lists.

Kelly Proper won the 100m (11.75) and the 200m (23.81) at the GloHealth National Track and Field Championships last weekend bringing her total to 17 outdoor gold medals. Ciara Everard goes into the championships with a personal best of 2:01.21 that she set in Oordegem, Belgium on the 23rd of May. Sara Treacy (Dunboyne) was one of the star performers at the national championships front-runnning her way to victory in the 3,000m steeplechase in 9:58.92 and the 1500m in 4:18.62.

Ben Reynolds makes his outdoor debut in the World Championships having competed indoors over 60m hurldes in Istanbul in 2012. The North Down athlete made the semi-finals on that occasion and he will be hoping to build on his 13.48 personal best that he set when winning the England Athletics Championships on the 1st of August.  

6 women on the team

The addition of Proper, Everard and Treacy brings the number of women on the team of 16 to 6. Sara Treacy brings a full complement of women in the steeplechase for the first time. Ciara Mageean (UCD) also qualified under the new quota system but decided against competing as she is focusing on returning to full fitness after a recent injury. 

Full Team selection

Thomas Barr (Ferrybank) 400m Hurdles

Mark English (UCD) 800m

Kerry O’Flaherty (Newcastle), 3,000m steeplechase

Michelle Finn (Leevale) 3,000m steeplechase

Sara Treacy (Dunboyne) 3,000m steeplechase

Tori Pena (Finn Valley) Pole Vault

Alex Wright (Leevale) 20km/50km Race Walk

Robert Heffernan (Togher) 50km Race Walk

Brendan Boyce (Letterkenny) 50km Race Walk

Kelly Proper (Ferrybank) 200m

Ciara Everard (UCD) 800m

Ben Reynolds (North Down) 110m hurdles

4x400m relay (Thomas Barr, Mark English, Brian Gregan, Brian Murphy, Richard Morrissey (both Crusaders), Timmy Crowe (Clonliffe Harriers)