Exciting Weekend of Competition Expected at GloHealth Junior & U23 Champs
Close to 400 of Ireland’s top Junior and U23 athletes will take to the track this Sunday, 25th of January for the GloHealth National Indoor Junior & U23 Championships in AIT International Arena, Athlone. 2015 represents a big year for both these age categories with European Outdoor Championships events scheduled for later in the summer. All the action from the GloHealth Championships event will be streamed live via the Athletics Ireland website, please see here for full details: Live Streaming
Junior & U23 Preview
All eyes will be on the 60m sprints on Sunday with many of Ireland’s top sprinters making their seasonal debuts. Sarah Lavin (UCD AC) and Phil Healy (Bandon AC) both represented Ireland last year at the European Athletics Championships in Zurich will renew rivalry over 60m in Athlone. Lavin will also contest her specialist 60m hurdles event while Healy will contest the 200m. The men’s sprint events are shaping up to be equally as exciting with Zak Irwin (Sligo AC) – U20 and Marcus Lawler (St Laurence O’Toole AC) – U23 the standout names.
Paul Murphy (Ferrybank AC) is the quickest on a paper in the junior men’s 400m with a personal best of 47.75 from the 2014 outdoor season. It will be interesting to see how the young Waterford athlete transfers this form to the 2015 indoor season. Alanna Lally (Galway City Harriers AC) chases an ambitious double in the junior women’s 400m and 800m events. Race of the day could come in the U23 women’s 800m with Katie Kirk (Queens University) and Aislinn Crossey (UCD AC) going head to head. Big names to watch out for on the men’s side include Harry Purcell (Trim AC) in the junior men’s 800m and World Junior semi-finalist Karl Griffin (UCD AC) in the U23 event. Irish International Race Walker Luke Hickey (Leevale AC) will start as the overwhelming favourite in the U23 3km Walk.
Field
World Youth representative David Cussen (Old Abbey AC) headlines a stellar field in the junior men’s High Jump. Cussen who has a personal best of 2.13m will lock horns with Keith Marks (Cushinstown AC) in the battle for the title. Sarah McCarthy (Mid-Sutton AC) has been over 6m before in the Long Jump will start as the favourite in the U23 event. Sam Healy (Leevale AC) enjoyed a breakthrough year in 2014 will attempt to continue this rise in his quest for the junior men’s long jump title.
John Kelly (Finn Valley AC) produced some monstrous throws in 2014 in the Shot Putt will start as the clear favourite in the junior men’s event. Ann-Marie Torsney and Fiona Tuite both of Fingallians AC are likely to battle it out in the junior women’s event.
Get More with GloHealth
Don’t forget that Athletics Ireland members get more with GloHealth. kids and adults get €30 cash back on their Athletics Ireland membership with GloHealth’s Family & Kids’ Health package. Adults can also get this benefit on the Sports Cover package.