STARS OF IRISH ATHLETICS DESCEND UPON DUBLIN: PREVIEW
The stars of Irish athletics will take to national competition at the 123.ie National Senior Indoor Championships which take place in the Sport Ireland National Indoor Arena this weekend (February 18th & 19th).
The action gets underway from 11am on Saturday, with a second helping also taking place on Sunday from 11am.
Both days of competition will be streamed on the Athletics Ireland YouTube Channel.
How to follow:
- Top list for 2023 indoors HERE
- Weekend timetable HERE
- Entries list HERE
- Watch on Athletics Ireland YouTube HERE
- Live Results HERE (Updated from Saturday Feb 18th )
- Event Programme HERE
- Spectator Tickets HERE (Please note this is a ticket only event. U16s are FREE and do not require a ticket)
SATURDAY FEBRUARY 18TH
TRACK THRILLS
The heats of the 200m will get the track action underway on Saturday, with the finals to follow later in the afternoon.
The men’s race should make a compelling watch with 8 athletes having already gone under 22 seconds this season. Robert McDonnell (Galway City Harriers) is entered, and time will tell if he takes his place in the line-up as he bids to defend the title he secured last year with a blistering 20.89CR.
Mark Smyth (Raheny Shamrock AC) has been flying this indoor season and has already posted a person best of 21.02 in late January. Olympian Marcus Lawler (Clonliffe Harriers) and Colin Doyle (Leevale AC) are sure to be in the medal shake up come Saturday afternoon.
Sharlene Mawdsley (Newport AC) holds entries in the 200m and 400m, and the Newport athlete may choose to defend her 200m title once more. Lauren Cadden (Sligo AC) boasts a PB of 24.35 this season and could be the main challenger for gold. Lucy May Sleeman (Leevale AC) also holds a double entry (also in 60m) and is sure to be one of the likely contenders if making Saturday’s medal decider.
Olympian David Kenny (Farronfore Main Valley) returns to national championship action in the men’s 5,000m walk following his outstanding 18:42:00 performance at the Munster championships last week, while Kate Veale (West Waterford AC) will rank as one of this weekend’s leading favourites for gold as she goes in search of her 6th indoor title in a row (*2021 micro meet).
The men’s 3000m final is set for a 2.45pm start and could potentially be the race of the day with Darragh McElhinney (UCD), Nicolas Griggs (Mid Ulster AC) and John Travers (Donore Harriers) all entered. McElhinney boasts a 7:45.79PB from earlier this month with only Brian Fay (7:43:85), who is back in the states, clocking a faster time this season. As tends to be the case with championship racing, expect this race to be run tactically, with a gear change over the final laps set to decide the medal placings.
Sarah Lavin (Emerald AC) broke the 8 second mark in February and will the red-hot favourite for gold in the women’s 60m hurdles given her ultra-consistent start to the season (clocked 8.02 on three occasions already in 2023). Okwu Backari (Leevael AC) and Lilly Ann O’Hora (Dooneen AC) look likely contenders to battle it out for the podium places.
The men’s race looks somewhat harder to call. Gerard O’Donnell (Carrick On Shannon AC) opened his season with an 8.03 in Manchester last weekend and will renew rivalry with defending champion Matthew Behan (Crusaders AC). Junior champion Adam Nolan is also sure to be in the mix following his 8.04PB back in January at the AAI Games.
Away from Saturday’s track finals, the heats of the 400m, 800m , and 1500m will give a taster of what’s to come on Sunday.
FIELD FOCUS (SATURDAY)
Ellie McCartney (City of Lisburn) is travelling over from her UK base in defence of her 2022 indoor pole vault title. It will be the City of Lisburn star’s first time back competing in Ireland since her hugely successful performance at Commonwealth Games last summer. McCartney has jumped 4.15m this year but will be looking to threaten last year’s best of 4.24m on Saturday.
Sam Healy (Leevale) and Colm Burke (Raheny Shamrock) look set to duke it out in the men’s long jump competition, while the men’s shot put will certainly be a focus of much attention for the heavyweight class between between Eric Favors (Raheny Shamrock) and John Kelly (Finn Valley). Favors has twice broken his Irish Indoor record this winter pushing it out to 20.16m, while Kelly has also set new numbers with 19.39m (Kelly has also thrown 20.16m outdoors last summer).
Saragh Buggy’s (St Abbans) reign as triple jump queen is likely to continue for another year with her nearest rival Grace Furlong unable to travel home from the US for the championships.
The men’s high jump competition is likely to see David Cussen (Old Abbey AC) top the podium again, while rising star Evan Hallinan (Craughwell AC) will take to competition ahead of his upcoming international appearance at the U20 DNA international match the following week in Madrid.
SUNDAY FEBRUARY 19TH
TRACK DECIDERS
The first track final on day 2 will be the women’s 3000m where Michelle Finn (Leevale AC) will look to better last year’s silver in the absence of defending champion Sarah Healy who continues her recovery from injury. Ciara Mageean wont race indoors as she focuses her preparations on another big outdoor season.
The 1500m races will no doubt provide their customary drama and excitement. Niamh Kearney (Raheny Shamrock) ran a 4:21:30 PB earlier this month and will go close, while Ellie Hartnett (UCD AC) has also impressed in her recent outings. Amy O’Donoghue (Emerald AC) looks one of the standout entries outside of those with recent form, while Carla Sweeney (Rathfarnham WSAF AC) will be looking to build on last year’s 3rd place finish.
The men’s race could be a flip of a coin with almost nothing separating Andrew Coscoran (Star of the Sea AC) and Luke McCann (UCD AC) this season following their outstanding performances stateside in recent months. 3.45.14 was enough for McCann to take the 2022 title, but both athletes come into this weekend having already run 3:37 (Coscoran) and 3:38PB (McCann) this year so watch this space if both line up.
The men’s 400m will see the return of Jack Raftery (Donore Harriers) who has been in flying form this indoor season, already posting a 46.75pb to build on last year’s progress. Raftery could be hard to beat if reproducing this performance with some doubt over Christopher O’Donnell taking to the blocks on Sunday.
The women’s 400m could be the race of the weekend if all the likely contenders take to their place in what can arguably be seen as the most exciting event in Irish athletics at present.
Three of the top 5 on the Irish all-time list could potentially line up come Sunday afternoon with Phil Healy (Bandon AC), Sophie Becker (Raheny Shamrock) and Sharlene Mawdsley (Newport AC) all entered. Rhasidat Adeleke’s 50.45A NR may have stolen the headlines recently, but Mawdsley’s 51.91PB in France last week behind Femke Bol also marked a big step forward for the Tipperary star.
Ireland’s fastest man Israel Olatunde should take to the track for the final of the 60m come 2.10pm on Sunday if safely negotiating the earlier rounds. The battle for the podium places could be a thriller with a further 5 athletes having already gone 6.80 or better this season including Oliver Swinney (6.76), Bori Akinola (6.78), Colin Doyle (6.78), Christopher Sibanda (6.79), and Mark Smyth (6.80).
The women’s 60m final will precede the men’s decider and is one not to be missed. It looks too hard to call at this stage with Joan Healy (Leevale AC), Sarah Leahy (Killareny Valley), and Lucy May Sleeman (Leevale AC) all coming into this weekend in flying form following a busy start to their indoor seasons.
Mark English (Finn Valley) will be out to defend his 800m title come Sunday afternoon, and the 2022 European Championship bronze medallist will be buoyed by his recent 1:46.57 in Boston earlier this month.
Olympian Louise Shanahan returns to 800m action from 2.25pm on Sunday as she bids to retain the gold she secured in 2022 with her trademark final-lap-kick to pip Claire Mooney who also returns. Last year’s first and second will likely be challenged by a returning Nadia Power (Dublin City Harriers) who continues to look sharper with each passing week following a long injury layoff.
The 4x200m relays will sign of the track action on Sunday with another bumper entry of clubs set to take to the track from 2.50pm.
FIELD FINALS
The action in the field events on Sunday has potential to steal the headlines on day 2 of this year’s 123.ie National Indoor Championships.
The women’s long jump could be the competition of the day with the high performing trio of Ruby Millet (6.44m), Elizabeth Ndudi (6.42m) and Lauren Callaghan (6.24m) all smashing their personal bests this indoor season. Millet (St Abbans) had some huge jumps last summer but unfortunately didn’t quite get favourable wind readings. France based Ndudi (DSD) is very much the up-and-coming challenger to the throne and it will be great to see her step up to senior competition. Kelly Proper’s national indoor record from 2010 stands at 6.62m.
The women’s shot is likely to see yet another national title added to Michaela Walsh’s (Swinford AC) huge collection. The Swinford athlete comes here in great form having posted her indoor personal best of 15.54m in January. Walsh will likely be most closely challenged by Indoor Pentathlon record holder Kate O’Connor (Dundalk St Gerards AC) and Ciara Sheehy (Emerald AC).
The men’s pole vault looks set to be a showdown between Matthew Callinan Keenan (SLOT) and Michael Bowler (Enniscorthy AC). 10cm separates their best performances this year with Callinan Keenan just ahead at 4.70m.
The men’s triple jump should provide a much-anticipated head-to-head between the in-form Conall Mahon (Tir Chonaill) and Jai Benson. Only 2cm separates their best jumps this year. While the women’s high jump should be a very close competition. Ava Rochford (1.77m), Pippa Rogan (1.76), Daena Kealy and Ciara Kennelly (both 1.75) will all be looking for top spot on the podium.
Don’t miss a minute of the action at the 123.ie National Senior Indoor Championships this weekend: Spectator Tickets HERE