Following on from the Irish Sports Council carding scheme announcement…. …on Wednesday, Athletics Ireland has published its High Performance Panels for 2008. In total a record 54 athletes will receive carding support of differing levels. Chair of High Performance Liam Hennessy said, “Athletics Ireland expresses its appreciation to the Irish Sports Council for the overall level of funding to the High Performance programme for 2008.” Derval O’Rourke tops the list as the only contracted athlete. Seven athletes receive world class level funding including Eileen O’Keeffe and Robert Heffernan who finished 6th in the World Championships in Osaka. Eight athletes have been included in the international classification including recent Olympic Marathon qualifier, Martin Fagan.
Max Jones, director of athletics is responsible for athletes of international carding level and above said, “The increase in world class performances of Irish athletes in Osaka is reflected in the increase of Sports Council support to athletes of major games level. This funding will help our top class athletes with their preparations towards Beijing.”
The development funding level group who will receive €5,000 per annum has thirteen athletes including Thomas Chamney, Anne Loughnane and Irish Times sports woman of the month Kelly Proper.
Gareth Devlin, High Performance manager, responsible for the development panel athlete said, “Several athletes have had a tough 2007 season and representations were made to the Sports Council keep these athletes included based on a two year plan. We believe in a policy of retention of talented athletes but we will be closely monitoring athletes to ensure they perform to the necessary standards in 2008.”
The Junior carding panel will receive €1,500 each. It includes a record 25 members including European Youth Olympic medallists Noel Collins, Niamh Whelan and Charlotte Ffrench O’Carroll. The Junior Achievers panel includes athletes who have achieved the junior achievers standards in 2007 but missed the junior carding qualifying criteria. A review of 2008 indoor performances will occur in April after the national juvenile indoor championships to update the junior panels.
Gary Ryan, director of coaching and manager of the junior panels said, “There is an extraordinary amount of talented youth athletes in Ireland at the moment and this reflected in the number of junior high performance athletes.”
Process for Appeals
An athlete who wishes to appeal one of the following:
1) Omission of an athlete from a performance panel
2) Omission of an athlete from the carding scheme
3) Award or category designation within carding scheme,
may do so by presenting the athletes case to the Athletics Ireland by email, mail, or fax outlining the following information;
• Athlete Name
• Event
• Reason for Appeal
• Supporting Statement (include supporting documentation if applicable)
The appeal must be received by Athletics Ireland by Wednesday 27th March. No appeals accepted after this date.
Please send appeals to:
Aoife Hoey, Athletics Ireland
Unit 19 Northwood Court, Northwood Business Campus, Santry, Dublin 9, or [email protected] or fax 01-8421334
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