Derval O’Rourke is the latest withdrawal from the Irish team for the European Team Championships this weekend. She has a lingering chest infection. Replacing her in the 100m hurdles is young pretender Sarah Lavin of Emerald who ran 13.45 secs to break O’Rourke’s Irish junior record in Geneva earlier this month.
Other withdrawals through illness are Mark English of UCD (viral infection) and Fionnuala Britton ( chest infection). Tallaght’s Anthony Leighio replaced English in the 800m while Kerry Harty of Newcastle goes in the 5000m in place of Britton.
Athletes unavailable from the start included hammer thrower Conor McCullough who is based in the USA and middle distance athlete Paul Robinson.
* Sprinter Amy Foster faces a busy weekend with only a day’s break between the European Team Championships in Santry and next Tuesday’s Mary Peters Track International Opening Meeting in Belfast.
In the women’s 100m, Foster takes on Ukrainian sprinters Mariya Ryemyen and Olesya Povh, both of them bronze relay medal winners at last year’s London Olympics. Ryemyen is the current European 200m champion.
Other members of the Irish team for Santry heading for Belfast include Ben Reynolds in the high hurdles and Jason Harvey in the 400m flat.
Newry’s Aislinn Crossey, who broke 2 mins 8 secs in the Irish Schools Championships, takes on Australian champion Kelly Hetherington in the 800m. Pencilled in for the men’s 1500m is Paul Robinson, who ran 3:37.99 for the distance last May, along with four -times UK title holder Nick McCormick.
IRISH TEAM FOR EUROPEAN TEAM CHAMPIONSHIPS LEAGUE 1, Santry June 22/23
* Irish Olympians David Gillick of DSD and Joanne Cuddihy of Kilkenny City Harriers have been named as men and women’s captains to the team.
Team (updated) -Women: Amy Foster (City of Lisburn) 100m/200m, Sinead Denny (DSD) 400m, Rose-Anne Galligan (Newbridge) 800m, Claire Tarplee (DSD) 1500m, Laura Crowe (Riocht) 3000m, Kerry Harty (Newcastle) 5000m, Michelle Finn (Leevale) 3000m S/C, Sarah Lavin (Emerald) 100m H, Jessie Barr (Ferrybank) 400m H, Aisling Croke (Dooneen) high jump, Tori Pena, pole vault, Kelly Proper (Ferrybank) long jump, Caoimhe King (Aughagower) triple jump, Claire Fitzgerald (Tralee Hrs) shot/discus, Aoife Hickey (KCH) hammer, Anita Fitzgibbon (DSD) javelin. 4×100 – Phil Healy (Bandon), Niamh Whelan (Ferrybank, Ailis McSweeney (Leevale), Steph Creaner (Celtic DCH), Sarah Lavin (Emerald), Louise Kiernan (Fingallians).4x400m – Denny, Barr, Jennifer Carey, Shauna Cannon (Bros Pearse), Claire Mooney (Naas), Grainne Moynihan (W Muskerry).
Men – Jason Smyth (City of Derry) 100m, Marcus Lawler (SLOT) 200m, Brian Gregan (Clonliffe) 400m, Anthony Leighio (Tallaght) 800m, Eoin Everard (KCH) 1500m, David McCarthy ( W Waterford) 3000m, Shane Quinn (Ferrybank) 5000m, Tomas Cotter (Dunleer) 3000m S/C, Ben Reynolds (Nth Down) 110m H, Jason Harvey (Crusaders) 400m H, Simon Phelan (Clonliffe) high jump, Brian McGovern pole vault, David Quilligan (Leevale) long jump, Denis Finnegan (Leevale) triple jump, Colin Quirke (Crusaders) shot/discus, Padraig White (Dunboyne), hammer, Mathew Martin (Nth Down) javelin. 4x100m– Lawler, David Hynes (Menapians), Dean Adams (Ballymena and Antrim), Steven Colvert (Crusaders),Craig Lynch (Shercock), Zak Irwin (Sligo) . 4x400m – Gregan, Harvey, Dara Kerwick (Carrick-on-Suir), Richard Morrissey (Crusaders), Joe Dowling (DSD), Brian Murphy (Crusaders).
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