Tullamore is set to host a thrilling weekend of athletics (Saturday July 4th and Sunday July 5th) as Ireland’s top young athletes descend upon the Offaly venue for the 123.ie U20 and U23 National Championships. The national senior 10,000m titles are also up for grabs on Sunday.
Further intrigue is added to proceedings as the World Athletics U20 Championships in Eugene, Oregon (August 5th to 9th) looms large.
Day One – Preview
The opening track action of the day will be the steeplechase finals at 11:30am. Dearbhla Allen (St. Peter’s AC) is the leading entry in the U20 Women’s race. The Louth athlete has been in excellent form this year so far, lowering her personal best to 10:25.69 in Belfast last month, just under the qualifying standard for the World Athletics U20 Championships.
Heats in the 100m and 400m will follow, before the 100m finals are down for decision at 2:30pm.
Alisha Maher (Tullamore Harriers), Katie Doherty (Ratoath AC) and Orlaith Mannion (South Galway AC) will be expected to feature in the battle for medals in the U20 Women’s event. Mannion, a hurdles specialist, has ran 12.01 on two occasions this season. Gloria Oigbochie (Tallaght AC) also can’t be discounted based on her recent form, while Chidinma ADIKAIBE (Metro/St. Brigid’s AC) was an emphatic winner of the Girls U19 title at last weekend’s Juvenile Championships.
The U20 Men’s final should be loaded with quality. Éanna Dunican (St. Laurence O’Toole AC) will go into this weekend full of confidence after claiming the Boys U19 title at last weekend’s National Juvenile Championships in 10.64 (+2.5m/s). Dubem Amah (Tallaght AC) blazed to a 10.56 PB back in March in America and returns home hoping to make a mark in Tullamore, while Joshua Awujoola (Fast Twitch AC) who was crowned ‘Ireland’s fastest schoolboy’ at the All-Ireland Schools Championships a few weeks ago will be hungry for more success.
Uche Disu (Tallaght AC) is the fastest of the entries to the U23 Women’s 100m. The U23 Men’s race has the potential to be a cracker with Lucas Fadden (Galway City Harriers) and Nkemjika Onwumereh (Metro/St. Brigid’s AC) coming into the championships with 10.4 clocking’s this season. Max O’Reilly (Riverstick Kinsale AC) and Osamudiamen Jesse Osas (Ratoath AC) also hold entries and will be hoping to shine.
The Men’s U20 5000m Race Walk is stacked with quality. Both Seamus Clarke (Moy Valley AC) and Matthew Newell (Castlegar AC) have achieved standards for the World U20 Championships, while the Glennon brothers John and Daniel (Mullingar Harriers) have accumulated international experience in recent years. Expect a thrilling 12.5 laps of race walking, where Newell’s championship record of 20:43.96 could be under threat.
Leah O’Gara (Finn Valley AC) was selected for the European Athletics U18 Championships this week and will be looking to deliver a strong performance before travelling to Rieti in the U20 Women’s 3000m Race Walk. National U19 champion Caoimhe Phelan (West Coast AC), Savanagh O’Callaghan (Tuam AC) and Robin Óg Murphy (Longford AC) should all be in the shake-up to make the podium.
In the 400m finals, selectors will be watching closely as athletes look for places on the U20 Women’s relay team who recently qualified for Eugene. Erin Friel (Letterkenny AC) has ticked off one of two required individual standards for the World Championships and is the leading contender for national honours. 800m specialist Saoirse Fitzgerald (Lucan Harriers) is expected to step down from two laps to one this weekend, while the likes of Emer Brennan (Clonmel AC), Evelyn Kwik (Dundrum South Dublin AC), Róisín Murray (Bray Runners AC), Kate Maher (Kilkenny City Harriers), Maria Zakharenko (Kilcoole AC) and Sofia Granjo (St. Laurence O’Toole AC) will all have aspirations of making the podium.
Joe Doody’s (UCD AC) 46.77 PB marks him out as the man to beat in the Men’s U23 400m. Clubmate Darragh Murphy and Fintan Dewhirst (Tír Chonaill AC) appear to be strong challengers.
The ever-exciting 4x100m relays will round out the opening day’s action.
There is sure to be plenty of thrilling throw’s action on the opening day of the championships. Heptathlete Enya Silkena (Ratoath AC) has achieved a standard for the World U20 Championships and will be in action in the U20 Women’s Javelin and Shot Put as she steps up her preparations for Oregon.
Caoimhe Gallen (Lifford Strabane AC) and Leila Cummins (Bandon AC) are two athletes to keep an eye on in what will be a competitive U20 Women’s Hammer Throw.
Both Callum Keating (North Cork AC) and Liam Shaw (Athenry AC) are entered in the U23 Men’s Discus Throw and Shot Put, while Andrew Scanlon (Leevale AC) will aim for a strong performance in the U23 Men’s Javelin.
Anna Gavigan (Lambay Sports Academy) broke the Irish U23 Discus Throw record recently with a best of 57.38 metres in Spain and will be the overwhelming favourite to take gold on Saturday in Tullamore.
Day Two – Preview
The opening track finals action on day two in Tullamore will come in the sprint hurdles. Okwu Backari (Leevale AC) and multi-eventer Laura Frawley (Nenagh Olympic AC) will battle it out for gold in the U23 Women’s 100m Hurdles.
Cameron McCracken (North Down AC) will be tough to beat in the U20 Men’s 110m final, while in the U23 Men’s category Adam Nolan (St. Laurence O’Toole AC) and Seán Carmody (Leevale AC) will go head-to-head as they have so many times down the years.
Orlaith Mannion (South Galway AC) has achieved her two qualifying standards for the World U20 Championships in the 100m Hurdles, lowering her personal best to 13.52 in Belgium last weekend to go ahead of Derval O’Rourke and behind only Sarah Lavin on the Irish U20 all-time list for the event. She is the favourite to claim gold in the U20 Women’s event.
Over 5000m, All-Ireland schools champion Lucas Lyons (North Leitrim AC) will fancy of his chances of completing a memorable double in the U20 Men’s race.
National half marathon and 5 mile champion Heather Murphy (St. Michael’s AC) is entered in the U23 Women’s 5000m where she is joined by Amy Greene (Finn Valley AC) and Caitlin Hughes (Swinford AC) who both have experience of racing at the European Cross Country Championships, making it an intriguing encounter.
The 200m finals will follow the 5000m races. Sofia Granjo (St. Laurence O’Toole AC) is the leading entry in the event having clocked a PB and World U20 standard of 24.00 in May. Tiffany Nwaedozie (Belgooly AC) and Destiny Lawal (Dooneen AC) will both travel to the European Athletics U18 Championships and are amongst the entries.
Dubem Amah (Tallaght AC) recorded a PB of 21.03 and World U20 standard earlier this year and will go into the U20 Men’s 200m as the athlete to beat. Joshua Awujoola (Fast Twitch AC) and Christopher Olatunde (Ratoath AC) should be in contention. Olatunde will race at the European U18 Championships in the event.
The U23 Men’s 200m will be an event to watch closely with Lucas Fadden (Galway City Harriers), Emmanuel Akinrolie (Titan’s AC), Luke Timlin (Crusaders AC), Sean Doggett (Athenry AC) and Dannan Long (Enniscorthy AC) all featuring on the entry list. With the likes of Uche Disu (Tallaght AC) and Hannah Falvey (Belgooly AC) entered, the U23 Women’s race is sure to produce some fireworks.
The 800m heats take place on Saturday with athletes returning on Sunday for finals. In the U20 Women’s race Pia Langton (Kilkenny City Harriers) is the fastest in the field this year with a 2:05.87 clocking to her name. Emma Hickey (United Striders) is an interesting addition to the field as she fine tunes her preparation for the 1500m at the European U18 Championships.
Conrad Latham (Raheny Shamrock AC) broke the 1:50 barrier for the first time just over a week ago and has had an impressive season which will give him plenty of confidence going into the U20 Men’s 800m. The likes of Bobby More (Bray Runners AC), Odhrán O’Sullivan (Midleton AC) and Jack Collins (Tralee Harriers) should also be in the mix for medals.
Renee Crotty (UCD AC) looks a likely contender for gold in the U23 Women’s race, while Oisin Lynch (Killarney Valley AC) has ran under 1:50 this year and goes in the U23 Men’s race with ambitions of winning gold.
400m hurdling is enjoying a successful spell at underage level in Ireland at the moment and spectators can look forward to great action in these races on Sunday. Elle-Kate McRae (Midleton AC) has been selected for the Irish team at the European U18 Championships and has performed excellently in her first year at the event. She will race in the U20 Women’s race.
Both Ethan Dewhirst (Tír Chonaill AC) and Des O’Neill (Raheny Shamrock AC) have ran two standards for Eugene and it could be tight between them in the U20 Men’s race. Dewhirst is second to only Thomas Barr on the Irish U20 all-time list having ran 50.51 last month in Spain.
The final individual track action will be the 1500m finals. Pia Langton (Kilkenny City Harriers) is entered in the U20 Women’s race but may focus on the 800m. She is chasing one more standard in each event. Leia Ryan (Metro/St. Brigid’s AC) won gold in the Senior Girls category at the All-Ireland Schools so will also fancy her chances.
The likes of Lorcan Forde Dunne (Ace AC), Luke Merrigan (Leevale AC) and Noah Harris (Parnell AC) are entered for the U20 Men’s 1500m and all are sure to make it an interesting race.
Nease Ní Ainifein (Ennis Track AC) has broken 4:15 for the 1500m this year and is the standout entry in the U23 Women’s race.
The 4x400m relays will conclude the track programme.
In the field, High Jump fans will be drawn to Siun Quinn (Brothers Pearse AC) in the U20 Women’s competition. Quinn has had an excellent first year at the University of Illinois jumping a PB of 1.85m in May which helped her on the path to qualifying for the World U20 Championships.
The Men’s U20 Long Jump could be one of the events of the day with Michael Kent (DMP AC) and Ryan Onoh (Cork City AC) set to renew rivalries following a thrilling Senior Boys competition at the All-Ireland Schools. Kent jumped a PB of 7.64m last weekend. JP Archbold (Newbridge AC) is also on the start list.
National senior indoor champion Meabh Corkery (Midleton AC) will have her eyes set on the top of the podium when she competes in the U20 Women’s Pole Vault. Leevale duo Alex Neff and Fionn Naughton could battle it out in the U20 Men’s event.
In the U23 Women’s Triple Jump, Caoimhe McDonagh (South Sligo AC) has jumped over 12m this season, while last year’s national senior outdoor champion Darragh Fahy (Loughrea AC) jumped 13.98m recently and will go for gold in the U20 Men’s event.
