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| Promising middle distance runner Darren McBrearty will spearhead the Ireland squad at the European Athletics U23 Championships in Ostrava. |
Athletics Ireland has announced a team of 20 to compete at the European Athletics U23 Championships in Ostrava, Czech Republic, from the 14th-17th July.
The team includes five hurdlers. The newly crowned U23 Irish record holder Jessie Barr will compete in the 400m hurdles. Barr set the record of 57.21 at the European Team Championships in Izmir and is currently fourth in the European U23 rankings. Timmy Crowe who set a personal best of 51.59 at the same event will compete in the men’s 400m hurdles alongside Paul Byrne.
This will be Byrne’s first international after improving his personal best from 55 seconds to 51.89 over the last two years. In the women’s 100m Hurdles, Ferrybank teammates Mairead Murphy and Kalyn Sheehan will line-up.
Murphy set yet another new personal best of 13.74 when winning the 100m hurdles Oordgem Belgium last weekend.
Niamh Whelan is the sole female sprinter representative. Whelan a finalist at European Juniors in 2009 will compete in the 100m and 200m. Steven Colvert who has a personal best of 20.90 will compete in the men’s 200m, he also ran an impressive wind-assisted 20.73 (+3.3) when winning the Woodie’s DIY U23 Championships. He will be joined by Chris Russell who set a personal best in Belgium last week of 21.23. Brian Gregan, a former World Junior finalist will compete in the 400m. Gregan who has a personal best of 46.21, has run a seasonal best this year of 46.63 to top the Irish rankings.
Darren McBrearty will double up in both the 800m and 1500m. McBrearty set a personal best of 1.47.79 in June and will be focusing on this event. He will be joined by Anthony Lieghio (Tallaght AC) in the 800m. Lieghio achieved the European U23 standard when winning the 800m in 1:48.17 in Uden Holland last weekend improving significantly on the 1:50 territory he has been in all season.
Kourosh Foroughi who equalled his personal best of 2.20m at the Cork City Sports last weekend will compete in the High Jump. Foroughi finished fifth at the European juniors two years ago. Colin Quirke will compete in the discus. University of Ulster’s Adam Mc Mullan who has a personal best of 7.61m will compete in the long jump. Claire Wilkinson will compete in the Pole vault. Wilkinson has come into form jumping 3.82m in Belgium last weekend just two centimetres off her personal best.
Ireland team:
Niamh Whelan 100m/200m
Steven Colvert 200m
Chris Russell 200m
Brian Gregan 400m
Darren McBrearty 800m/1500m
Anthony Leghio 800m
Paul Robinson 1500m
John Travers 1500m
David Flynn 3000mSC
Mairead Murphy 100mH
Kalyn Sheehan 400mH
Jessie Barr 400mH
Tim Crowe 400mH
Paul Byrne 400mH
Kourosh Foroughi High Jump
Claire Wilkinson Pole Vault
Colin Quirke Discus
Sara Treacy 1500m
Adam McMullen Long Jump
Laura Reynolds 20km Walk