Mick Clohisey – marathon qualifier
STOP Press:These standards now approved by the Olympic Council of Ireland.
A total of 17 changes to entry standards for the track and field programme by the IAAF means that the number of Irish qualifiers for the Rio Olympics has ballooned.
Most notably, the men’s and women’s marathon times have changed from 2:42:00 to 2:45:00 for women, and from 2:17 to 2:19 for men. That means that eight Irish men now have the qualification standard – Kevin Seaward, Sergiu Ciobanu, Mick Clohisey and Paul Pollock who were inside the previous standard of 2:16, along with Gary Thornton, Thomas Frazer, Sean Hehir and Eoin Callaghan. Mark Kirwin is just outside the new standard at 2:19.30. As for the women, Lizzie Lee, Fionnuala McCormack, Breege Connolly and Barbara Sanchez, who ran 2:42.43 in Valencia a few weeks ago, now have qualifying marks.
Other changes include the women’s 400m entry standard which has gone up to 52.20 secs. Both the women’s and men’s 800m entry standards have been changed as well – the women’s from 2:01.00 to 2:01.50 and the men’s from 1:45.80 to 1:46.00. Both Ciara Everard and Ciara Mageean will fancy their chances of making that time. The 1500m will also have softer entry standards for both genders with the times is at 3:36.20 for men and 4:07.00 for women, which means Mageean is now qualified with her time of 4:06.49 from Rieti in September. The women’s 5000m standard is changed from 15 mins 20 secs to 5 mins 24 secs; Mary Cullen has run 15:26.46 this year.
The women’s steeplechase standard remains the the same but the men’s is revised to 8:30.00. Women’s high jump is now 1.93, the triple jump is 14.15 and the shot putt 17.75. The men’s triple jump standard is now 16.85, the discus 65m, and the hammer 77m. In the walks, the women’s 20km is now 1 hrs 36 mins and the men’s 50km 4 hrs 6 mins; both Robert Heffernan and Brendan Boyce are comfortably inside that time. .
A quota system will also operate – 56 places are available in the 100m and 200m; 48 in the 400m and 800m, 45 in the 1500m and steeplechase, 400 in the 100m, 110m and 400m hurdles, and only 32 in the field and combined events. The 5000m, 10,000m, walks and marathon go by qualification standards only.
The aim is to get more athletes achieving the standard, says the IAAF. From an Irish point of view, it means a large team of about thirty will head for Rio next summer, including six marathon runners, up to four walkers, and three steeplechasers.
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