Athletics Ireland in partnership with the ESB today announced the details of their Athlete Support Scheme for 2008. The ESB Athlete Support programme will provide financial support to a group of nine talented young Irish athletes to help fulfil their potential. This will aid each athlete with their training, travel, coaching, sports science and medical support. The group of nine is made up of four emerging seniors and five promising U-23’s and juniors. The emerging seniors are Paul Hession, Joanne Cuddihy, Mary Cullen and Fionnuala Britton. Hession has made huge strides in the past year, making him Ireland’s top sprint athlete at 60m, 100m, 200m and 300m, while also making a semi final at last year’s World Championships. Joanne Cuddihy has also made a huge impact over the past twelve months. The medical student is the current Irish record holder at 400m, a record she set last year when she also reached the semi finals at the World Championships. Fionnuala Britton has also shown her class in recent years and is Ireland’s most promising cross country athlete. All three will compete at this year’s Olympic Games while Mary Cullen, who had been returning to form, is currently out injured. Some of the other athletes on the scheme include Junior’s Kelly Proper and David McCarthy. Proper broke the Irish indoor long jump record this year and has been improving at a dramatic rate, while McCarthy’s performances over 1,500m earned him a place on the recent European Cup team. Mary Coghlan, Chief Executive of Athletics Ireland, is delighted with the impact the scheme has had on supporting Irish athletes. “The ESB Athlete Support Scheme is a great asset to these athletes. This scheme has given vital support to our emerging athletes and has undoubtedly been one of the factors in the great leaps forward their performances have taken in the last couple of years. The ESB support first came at a critical time in the development of the current crop of talent. ” Padraig McManus, Chief Executive of ESB, is pleased that the company are supporting the programme. “The Athletics Support Programme is part of ESB’s continued support for youth development through sponsorship. We are particularly pleased that this programme has provided much needed support to Irish athletes allowing them to compete at the highest international level. ESB is committed to enhancing the potential of Ireland’s athletes through youth sponsorship,” McManus said. Liam Hennessy, President of Athletics Ireland, sees great value in the scheme. “We are currently going through a glorious phase in the sport with an impressive broad based group of talent emerging from the youth and junior ranks. Support programmes like the ESB are vital in assisting these athletes to the next phase in their progress.” ESB Athlete Support Scheme 2008 Senior Paul Hession Athenry AC Joanne Cuddihy UCD AC Mary Cullen North Sligo Fionnuala Britton Sli Chulainn U23 & Junior Linda Byrne Dundrum South Dublin Ciaran O’Lionaird Leevale AC David McCarthy West Waterford Kelly Proper Ferrybank AC Amy Foster North Down AC