Toyko Olympics Preview

The much-anticipated Tokyo Olympic Games has arrived and will soon see Ireland’s second largest ever athletics squad (2nd only to Sydney 2000) take to competitive action.

The athletics events take place in the second week of the Games, running from Friday, July 30th - Sunday, August 8th, with events in both Sapporo Odori Park and the Olympic Stadium.

Team Ireland has selected eight athletes to compete across the Marathon and 50km Race Walk events in Sapporo, 800km north of Tokyo. An experienced team of five marathon runners and three race walkers will compete across four days in Sapporo from the August 5th-8th.

Click HERE for athlete bios.

Schedule - Listed as Irish time (Heat times TBC)

Friday July 30th

• 800m Heats: Nadia Power (Heat 2 - 02.33am), Louise Shanahan (Heat 3 - 02.41am), Siofra Cleirigh Buttner (Heat 4 - 02.49am) - First 3(Q) form each heat and next 6 fastest(q) advance to semi-finals.
• 400m Hurdles Heats: Thomas Barr (Heat 3 - 03.41am) - First 4(Q) from each heat and next 4 fastest(q) advance to semi-finals.
• Mixed 4 x 400m Relay: Cillin Greene, Chris O’Donnell, Phil Healy, Sophie Becker, Robert McDonnell, Cliodhna Manning (Heat 1 - 12.00pm) - First 3(Q) from each heat and next 2 fastest(q) advance to the final.

Saturday July 31st

• 800m Heats: Mark English (Heat 5 - 02.22am) - First 3 in each heat (Q) and the next 6 fastest (q) advance to the Semifinals
• 100m Hurdles Heats: Sarah Lavin (heat 2 - 02.53am) - First 4 in each heat (Q) and the next 4 fastest (q) advance to the Semifinals
• Mixed 4 x 400m Relay Final: Cillin Greene, Chris O’Donnell, Phil Healy, Sophie Becker, Robert McDonnell, Cliodhna Manning (Final - 13.35pm)

Sunday August 1st

• 1.40am (3000m SC Heats): Michelle Finn (Heat 1 - 1.40am), Eilish Flanagan (Heat 3 - 2.10am)
• 13.05pm (400m Hurdles Semi-Final): Thomas Barr - First 2 in each heat (Q) and the next 2 fastest (q) advance to the Final

Monday August 2nd

• 1.35am (1500m Heats): Ciara Mageean (Heat 1 - 1.35am), Sarah Healy (Heat 3 - 1.59am) First 6 in each heat (Q) and the next 6 fastest (q) advance to the Semifinals
• 3.10am (200m Heats): Phil Healy (Heat 6 - 3.10am) First 3 in each heat (Q) and the next 3 fastest (q) advance to the Semifinals

Tuesday August 3rd

• 1.27am (1500m Heats): Andrew Coscoran (Heat 3 - 1.27am) First 6 in each heat (Q) and the next 6 fastest (q) advance to the Semi-finals
• 2.17am (400m Heats): Phil Healy (Heat 5 - 2.17am) First 3 in each heat (Q) and the next 6 fastest (q) advance to the Semi-finals
• 3.45am (200m Heats): Marcus Lawler (H6 - 3.45am), Leon Reid (H7 - 3.53am) First 3 in each heat (Q) and the next 3 fastest (q) advance to the Semi-finals

Thursday August 5th

• 8.30am (20k Walk): David Kenny
• 9.30pm (50k Walk): Alex Wright, Brendan Boyce
• 12.000m(1500m Semi-final) Andrew Coscoran - First 5 in each heat (Q) and the next 2 fastest (q) advance to the Final

Friday August 6th:

• 11pm (Marathon): Aoife Cooke, Fionnuala McCormack

Saturday August 7th:

• 11pm (Marathon): Stephen Scullion, Paul Pollock, Kevin Seaward

2020 Olympic Support Staff (Athletics):

Support Staff Name - Role - Location - Coach to

• Paul McNamara - Team Leader - Tokyo & Fukuroi
• Teresa McDaid - Team Manager - Tokyo & Fukuroi
• Drew Harrison - Mixed Relay Coach - Tokyo & Fukuroi - Mx 4x4, Thomas Barr
• Hayley Harrison - Hurdles / Sprints Support - Tokyo & Fukuroi - Thomas Barr
• Steve Vernon - Middle Distance Support - Tokyo & Fukuroi - Ciara Mageean
• Shane McCormack - Sprints Support - Tokyo & Fukuroi - Phil Healy
• Noelle Morrissey - Hurdles / Sprints Support - Tokyo & Fukuroi - Sarah Lavin
• Feidhlim Kelly - Middle Distance Support - Tokyo & Fukuroi - Mark English, Michelle Finn, Andrew Coscoran
• Matthew Lockett - Team Lead (Sapporo) & Marathon Support - Sapporo & Fukuroi
• Richard Rodgers - Operational Lead (Sapporo) & Marathon Support - Sapporo & Fukuroi
• Declan Monaghan - Physiotherapy - Sapporo & Fukuroi
• Ricki McCann - Physiology - Sapporo & Fukuroi
• Lauren Wright - Walks Support - Sapporo - Alex Wright
• Ray Flynn - Walks Support - Sapporo
• Ciara McCallion - Physiotherapy - Fukuroi
• Paul Carragher - Physiotherapy - Tokyo & Fukuroi

How to Watch

Coverage of the Olympic Games is brought to you by RTÉ Sport and the BBC. RTÉ2 coverage will start at 1.30am each morning and run right through until 3.30pm the following afternoon. At 7pm each evening on RTÉ2 there will be a round-up all of the action with particular focus on the Irish athletes.

BBC One and BBC Two will also show all of the action as they hold the exclusive UK rights with programming beginning at midnight each day and running through until 3pm while they will also show a round-up programme at 7.30pm each night.

Useful Links

• Schedule, Live Results, and Much More via Olympics.ie: Click Here
• Irish Olympic Medals (Athletics):Click Here

Team Ireland Social Media

Team Ireland Twitter: Follow

Team Ireland Instagram: Follow

Team Ireland Facebook: Like

€6.4 million Invested in High Performance Athletics Across the Tokyo Cycle

We thank all our members for supporting our Olympians over the last number of years. A significant component of funding in helping our athletes make it to the Olympics is generated directly through recreational running and membership revenue.

The Athletics Ireland high-performance system continues to evolve and develop, and the size and performance of our Olympic team is a reflection of this positive ongoing development.

We also note the importance of the investment from Sport Ireland and the tax-payers of Ireland for their continued support of athletics.

Summary Investment of the Tokyo Cycle 2017 to 2021

• Athletics Ireland invested over €1.1 million in high performance.
• Sport Ireland invest nearly €5.3 million in high performance and carding.
• Athletics Ireland invested €723,000 in carding payments to HP athletes.
• Sport Ireland invested €1,172,000 in carding payments to HP athletes.
• Investment of €2.3 million in athlete services in addition to the service support provided by the Sport Ireland Institute.
• Investment of €577,000 in the pathway programme.
• Investment of €1,322,000 in senior competition.