Irish Olympic Team And Timetable
Irish Olympic Team and Timetable
Reports
Day 1
Mark English (UCD) has qualified for the Olympic 800m semi-final on day 1 - get the report HERE
Alex Wright (Leevale) produces battling performance in men's 20km walk - Report HERE
Ciara Mageean (UCD) shows her class to advance to 1500m semi - Report HERE
Day 2
Sara Treacy (Dunboyne) makes Olympic steeplechase final - Report HERE
English bows out in 800m semi-final - Report HERE
Day 3
McCormack an excellent 20th in women's marathon - Report HERE
Team Profiles
Ciara Mageean
Club: UCD
Event: 1500
Personal best: 4:06.49
Coach: Jerry Kiernan
Ciara Mageean announced herself as a hot prospect for the future when she won a silver medal over 1500m at the World Junior Athletics Championships in Moncton, Canada in 2010 but injury has curtailed her full development to date. The UCD physiotherapy graduate has shown flashes of brilliance and will be aiming for at least the semi-final. With a clean bill of health she has been delivering on her promise with a European bronze medal.
Thomas Barr
Club: Ferrybank
Event: 400m Hurdles
Personal best: 48.65
Coach: Haley and Drew Harrison
The World University Games champion goes into the championships on the comeback trail having been injured. His first outdoor races were at the national championships and he made the semi-finals at the European Championships in Amsterdam.
Kevin Seaward
Club: St Malachy’s
Event: Marathon
Personal best: 2:14:52
Coach: Andrew Hobdell
Seaward is the fastest marathon qualifier for Rio with his 2:14:52 in the Berlin marathon back in September 2015. The school teacher finished 42nd at the World Half Marathon Championships in Cardiff in March with 65:23.
Mick Clohisey
Club: Raheny Shamrock
Event: Marathon
Personal best: 2:15:11
Coach: Dick Hooper
Clohisey has been the most consistent distance runner on the domestic scene for the past 18 months winning national titles over cross country and on the road. He is coached by three-time marathon Olympian Dick Hooper.
Paul Pollock
Club: Annadale Striders
Event: Marathon
Personal best: 2:15:38
Coach: Andrew Hobdell
Paul Pollock showed great form at the World Half in March with a 14th place finish in Cardiff with 62:46. The doctor is a training partner of Kevin Seaward and is based in London. His brother Noel is the head doctor with UK Athletics. He will be looking for another strong showing and lead the team to a good finishing position.
Kerry O’Flaherty
Club: Newcastle
Event: 3000m Steeplechase
Personal best: 9:42.61
Coach: Richard Rodgers
O’Flaherty has been a consistent performer on the track and has been part of Irish teams that have medalled at the European Cross Country Championships. This will be her Olympic debut having made her first bow at the world championships last year.
Michelle Finn
Club: Leevale
Event: 3000mSC
Personal best: 9:43.19
Coach: Donie Walsh
Michelle Finn won the national title in impressive style with a front-running 9:46.81. The World Championships in Beijing were her major track debut having competed well on European Cross Country teams. She has just finished primary school teaching in UL.
Sara Treacy
Club: Dunboyne
Event: 3000m Steeplechase
Personal best: 9:39.41
Coach: Bud Baldaro
Sara Treacy has been based in Birmingham the past number of years qualifying as a doctor and practising while under the tutelage of top British coach Bud Baldaro. She also makes her Olympic debut.
Tori Pena
Club: Finn Valley
Event: Pole Vault
Personal best: 4.60m
Coach: Greg Hull
This will be Tori Pena’s second Olympic Games for Ireland where she will be looking to post a competitive performance. She has competed in every major championships for Ireland and the American based athlete will be eager to impress.
Fionnuala McCormack
Club: Kilcoole
Event: 10.000m/Marathon
Personal best: 31:29.22/2:31:46
Coach: self
This will be Fionnuala McCormack’s third Olympic Games. She made her Olympic debut in Beijing in the 3,000m steeplechase before going on to double in the 5,000m and 10,000m. She was an agonising fourth in the 10,000m at the European Championships in Amsterdam.
Lizzie Lee
Club: Leevale
Event: Marathon
Personal best: 2:32:51
Coach: Donie Walsh
Lizzie Lee has reached new levels of performance since giving birth to her daughter Lucy and recorded an excellent 2:32:51 in Berlin last September. She has been a lynchpin on Irish teams at the European Cross Country Championships. She works full-time with Apple.
Breege Connolly
Club: North Belfast Harriers
Event: Marathon
Personal best: 2:37:29
Coach: Martin Deane/Paul Elliot
The Leitrim woman has come a long way from running purely to make friends and will toe the line in Rio in the marathon by virtue of her excellent run in London in 2012. Connolly lives in Belfast and works as software tester in Newry.
Mark English
Club: UCD
Event: 800m
Personal Best: 1:44.84
Coach: Steve Magness
Mark English just missed out on the Olympics in London in 2012 as a junior but the Donegal man has gathered plenty of experience, and medals, since then. He won the bronze medal at the Europeans in Zurich in 2014 and won silver at the European Indoors in 2015.
Alex Wright
Club: Leevale
Event: 20km Race Walk/ 50km Race Walk
Personal Best: 1:21:56/3:48:31
Coach: Robert Heffernan
Alex Wright has been in excellent form this year recording personal bests over 20km and 50km to qualify for both distances in the Olympics. The Leevale athlete will focus on the 50km in Rio having focused internationally to date on the 20km.
Robert Heffernan
Club: Togher
Event: 50km Race Walk Walks 4:06:00 3:44:17 | 29 Aug 2015
Personal best: 3:37:54
Coach: Marian Heffernan
The 2013 World Champion goes into his fifth Olympic Games in Rio. He is set to receive a retrospective Olympic bronze medal from London but will be keen to show his best form in Rio. He has been of Ireland’s most consistent athletes in recent times.
Brendan Boyce
Club: Letterkenny
Event: 50km Race Walk
Personal best: 3:48:55
Coach: Robert Heffernan
Brendan Boyce has improved considerably since his 26th place finish at the London Olympics in 3:55:01. He finished 16th at the European Championships in Zurich in 2014 in 3:51:34 and will be aiming for a top 20 performance in Rio.
Ciara Everard
Club: UCD
Event: 800m
Personal Best: 2:01.21
Coach: James Nolan
Ciara Everard is coached by two-time Olympian James Nolan who is also the head of athletics for Paralympics Ireland. The Kilkenny woman is a qualified physiotherapist and has been competing on the international stage for the last number of years. She will be keen to impress on her Olympic debut.
Irish Olympic Timetable
Day 1 Friday August 12
Rio time/Irish time 10:10/14:10 800m Round 1 Mark English (UCD)
11:10/15:10 10,000m W Final Fionnuala McCormack (Kilcoole)
14:30/18:30 20km Race Walk M Final Alex Wright (Leevale)
20:30 1500m W R1 Ciara Mageean (UCD)
Day 2 Saturday August 13
10:05/14:05 3000m SC W R1
Kerry O’Flaherty (Newcastle)
Michelle Finn (Leevale)
Sara Treacy (Dunboyne)
22:05/2:05am 800m M SF Mark English (UCD)
Day 3 Sunday August 14
09:30/13:30 Marathon W Final
Fionnuala McCormack (Kilcoole)
Lizzie Lee (Leevale)
Breege Connolly (North Belfast Harriers)
21:30/1:30am 1500m W SF Ciara Mageean (UCD)
Day 4 Monday August 15
11:15/15:15 3000m SC W F
Kerry O’Flaherty (Newcastle)
Michelle Finn (Leevale)
Sara Treacy (Dunboyne);
11:35/15:35 400m H M R1 Thomas Barr (Ferrybank)
22:25/2:25am 800m M Final Mark English (UCD)
Day 5 Tuesday August 16
09:45/13:45 Pole Vault W Q A+B
Tori Pena (Finn Valley)
21:35/1:35am 400m H M SF
Thomas Barr (Ferrybank)
22:30/2:30am 1500m W Final
Ciara Mageean (UCD)
Day 6 Wednesday August 17
10:55/14:55 800m W R1
Ciara Everard (UCD)
Day 7 Thursday August 18
12:00/16:00 400m H M Final
Thomas Barr (Ferrybank)
21:15/1:15am 800m W SF
Ciara Everard (UCD)
Day 8 Friday August 19
08:00/12:00pm 50km Race Walk M Final
Robert Heffernan (Togher)
Brendan Boyce (Letterkenny)
Alex Wright (Leevale)
20:30/12:30am Pole Vault W Final
Tori Pena (Finn Valley)
Day 9 Saturday August 20
21:15/1:15am 800m W Final
Ciara Everard
Day 10 August 21
09:30/13:30 Marathon M Final
Kevin Seaward (St Malachy’s)
Paul Pollock (Annadale Striders)
Mick Clohisey (Raheny Shamrock)