Belgrade Bound for Team Ireland ahead of World Indoor Championships
18 Irish athletes represent their country at the World Indoor Championships in Belgrade Serbia this St Patrick’s weekend. The 2022 Indoor season has seen stellar performances from athletes both on the track and in the field. As we close the indoor season there is hope this season’s running theme of record-breaking performances will continue.
Women:
In the 60m Molly Scott (St. O'Toole's AC) represents team Ireland. The Carlow native has had an incredible indoor season breaking the National 60m record 5 times alongside taking the Irish Life Health National Indoor Championship Title last month. Scott will be looking to make it a 6th record breaking performance and reclaim her top spot on the Irish all-time list.
Olympian Phil Healy (Bandon AC) takes to the 400m in these championships. Healy has been a strong feature of this year's Irish indoor season, after winning the Irish life Health National Senior Indoor Championship title last month, Healy went on to set a new 400m PB, 51.66, at the World Indoor Tour in Madrid days later (March 2nd).
Olympian Sophie Becker (Raheny Shamrock AC) will also compete in the 400m in Belgrade. The Olympian was first across the line in her group at the World Indoor Tour Meet in Madrid this month, just days after setting her new PB at the Irish Life Health National Senior Indoor Championships at 52.64.
Olympian and National 800m Record holder Siofra Cleirigh Buttner (Dundrum South Dublin AC) will represent Ireland in the 800m after her top 5 finish at the Meet of Champions Invitational in Chicago earlier this month with a time of 2:03.18.
Olympian Sarah Healy (UCD AC) is set for the 1500m and will be pushing for the final or better at the World Indoor Championships. The 21-year-old has had a superb indoor season breaking her own U23 Record twice this season, most recently in February setting the record at 4:06.95, the second fastest ever by an Irish woman, after Ciara Mageean.
The 60m Hurdles sees Olympian Sarah Lavin (Emerald AC) represent Ireland after a fiery season on the Irish and international circuit. Lavin took the Irish Life Health National Senior Indoor championship title last month. At the Meeting, de Paris this month Lavin had a top 5 finish at 8.06.
Phil Healy (Bandon AC) and Sophie Becker (Raheny Shamrock AC) will join Sharlene Mawdsley (Newport AC), Roisin Harrison (Emerald AC) and Catherine McManus (Dublin City Harriers) in the 4x400m.
Mawdsley took the Irish life Health National 200m Senior Indoor Championship title last month. At the Northern Ireland and Ulster Championships she set a new 400m PB of 52.74.
Harrison has had a strong indoor season with a flurry of podium finishes and a new 400m PB of 53.12 set at the Irish Life Health National Indoor Championships last month where she also won bronze.
McManus came second in the AAI Games in early February and secured a top 5 finish at the Irish Life Health National Indoor Championships later in the month.
Men:
National U20 and U23 60m Record Holder Israel Olatunde (UCD AC) will represent team Ireland in the men’s 60m race. The sprinter kept the 60m record books busy by breaking the record an astonishing three times this season, most recently at the Irish Life Health National Senior Indoor Championships last month at 6.62.
Olympian Mark English (Finn Valley AC) takes to the 800m and the Men’s 4x400m. The 2022 season has seen a series of consistent and strong performances from the Finn Valley Star, with a sixth-place finish at the World Athletics Indoor Tour in Poland before coming to the Irish Life Health National Senior Indoor Championships to take top spot. At the NIA Live event in February English set a new 400m PB of 47.20.
Andrew Coscoran (Star of the Sea AC) has had a strong indoor season. The Olympian will compete in the 1500m competition. Coscoran ran a sub four-minute mile at both the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix in New York (3:53.64) in February and at the NIA Live event (3:56.27) this month. Also at the New Balance Indoor Grand prix, Coscoran ran his season best 1500m 3:38.80.
Luke McCann (UCD AC) also takes to the 1500m at the World Indoor Championships. It’s been a busy season for McCann, he secured the Irish Life Health National Senior Indoor 1500m title in the same month he set the 1000m record of 2:17.40 while competing stateside.
European U23 Silver medallist Darragh McElhinney (UCD AC) will represent Ireland in the 3000m. While competing at the Belgrade Indoor Meeting early this month McElhinney set the U23 National 1500m Record at 3:39.63. The 21-year-old also set the U23 3000m National Record last month at 7:45.91, claiming the Irish life Health National Senior 3000m title a couple of weeks later.
Olympians Mark English (Finn Valley AC), Cillin Greene (Galway City Harries AC), and Chris O’Donnell (North Sligo AC) along with Cathal Crosbie (Ennis Track AC) and Brian Gregan (Clonliffe Harriers) will represent Ireland in the 4x400m Relay.
Cillin Greene (Galway City Harries AC) took the AAI Games and Irish Life Health National Senior Indoor Championship 400m titles this season. At the Championships Greene secured a new 400m PB of 46.64. Earlier this month at the Belgrade Indoor Meeting Greene came fourth in the 400m.
Chris O’Donnell (North Sligo AC) set his 400m PB of 46.94 at last month's City of Birmingham Games in the UK while also securing a gold medal. At this month's Belgrade indoor meeting the Sligo Olympian secured a top five finish ahead of the World Indoor Championships.
Cathal Crosbie (Ennis Track AC) returns to the 400m as part of the relay team. The Clare sprinter set a new 400m Pb at 47.40 while claiming the top spot at the Irish University Indoor Championships.
Returning from injuries Brian Gregan (Clonliffe Harriers) is back on the track in the 400m. The Dublin sprinter recently came third in the Irish Life Health National Senior Indoor Championships before setting his season best this month at NIA Live as 47.62.
Robert McDonnell (Galway City Harriers AC) has withdrawn from the competition on medical grounds.
| Athlete | Coach | Club | Event |
| Israel Olatunde | Daniel Kilgallon | UCD AC | Men's 60m |
| Mark English | Feidhlim Kelly | Finn Valley AC | Men's 800m & Men's 4x400m Relay |
| Andrew Coscoran | Feidhlim Kelly | Star of the Sea AC | Men's 1500m |
| Luke McCann | Clark McCann | UCD AC | Men's 1500m |
| Darragh McElhinney | Emmett Dunleavy | UCD AC | Men's 3000m |
| Sarah Lavin | Noelle Morrissey | Emerald AC | Women's 60m Hurdles |
| Molly Scott | Deirdre Scott | St Laurence O'Toole's AC | Women's 60m |
| Phil Healy | Shane McCormack | Bandon AC | Women's 400m & Women's 4x400m Relay |
| Sophie Becker | Jeremy Lyons & Gerard O'Donnell | Raheny Shamrocks AC | Women's 400m & Women's 4x400m Relay |
| Síofra Cleirigh Buttner | Mark Coogan | Dundrum South Dublin AC |
Women's 800m |
| Sarah Healy | Eoghan Marnell | UCD AC | Women's 1500m |
| Cillin Greene | Jeremy Lyons & Gerard O'Donnell | Galway City Harriers AC | Men's 4x400m Relay |
| Robert McDonnell | Brendan Glynn | Galway City Harriers AC | Men's 4x400m Relay |
| Cathal Crosbie | Drew & Hayley Harrison | Ennis Track AC | Men's 4x400m Relay |
| Chris O'Donnell | Benke Blomqvist | North Sligo AC | Men's 4x400m Relay |
| Brian Gregan | John Shields | Clonliffe Harriers AC | Men's 4x400m Relay |
| Marcus Lawler** | Shane McCormack | Clonliffe Harriers AC | Men's 4x400m Relay |
| Sharlene Mawdsley | Gary Ryan | Newport AC | Women's 4x400m Relay |
| Roisin Harrison | Eoghan McNamara | Emerald AC | Women's 4x400m Relay |
| Catherine McManus | Brian McManus | Dublin City Harriers AC | Women's 4x400m Relay |
| Rachel McCann** | Michael Roberts | North Down AC | Women's 4x400m Relay |
** = Denotes an athlete who is a non-travelling reserve
Links:
Link to event details: HERE
Link to timetable: HERE
Link to Live Stream: HERE
BBC iPlayer also covering the event: HERE