Steven Colvert, Rory Chesser and Colin Griffin make up the Irish team travelling to Barcelona. Athletics Ireland has announced three additional athletes to the Irish team for the 20th European Athletics Championships in Barcelona from 27th July to 1st August. The team now consists of 33 athletes and includes three relay teams.
UCD AC sprinter Steven Colvert will join Paul Hession (Athenry AC) in the 200m in Barcelona after clocking a lifetime best of 20.9 as a guest in the Belgian Championships. This is inside the 21.00 qualifying standard and is a huge PB for Colvert.
Rory Chesser (Ennis Track Club) will join Thomas Chamney in the 1500m having achieved the qualifying standard at the Karlstad meeting in Sweeden last weekend. Chesser ran a best time of 3.40.08. This was just a week after winning the Woodie’s DIY Senior Track and Field Championships over the 3000m Steeplechase.
Colin Griffin (Ballinamore AC) has been added to the team in the gruelling 50km Walk. Griffin has been nursing a hamstring injury which caused him to miss the National Championships but he will be hoping to compete once he cleared by medical staff next week.
After making history last week Alis McSweeney (Leevale AC) as expected has been entered in the 100m in addition to her entry in the 4×100m Relay. The Cork Speedster broke one of the longest standing Irish Records last week when she ran 11.40 in Liege, Belgium, beating Michelle Carroll-Walsh’s record of 11.43 set 32 years ago. The 27 year old now claims the crown of Ireland’s fastest ever female athlete to go with her national senior title from a week earlier. McSweeney has credited her improvements to coaches Sean and Terri Cahill who also coach Derval O’Rourke.
Athletics Ireland – Irish Team
European Championships – Barcelona – 27th July to 1st August
| Men | Club | Event | Women | Club |
| Jason Smyth* | City of Derry | 100m | Ailis McSweeney | Leevale AC |
| Paul Hession | Athenry AC | 100m | ||
| Paul Hession | Athenry AC | 200m | Niamh Whelan | Ferrybank AC |
| Steven Colvert | UCD AC | 200m | Joanne Cuddihy | Kilkenny City Harriers |
| David Gillick | Dundrum South Dublin AC | 400m | Joanne Cuddihy | Kilkenny City Harriers |
| Gordon Kennedy | Tullamore Harriers | 400m | ||
| Brian Gregan | Clonliffe Harriers | 400m | ||
| David McCarthy | Le Cheile AC | 800m | Roseanne Galligan | Newbridge AC |
| Thomas Chamney | Crusaders AC | 800m | ||
| Thomas Chamney | Crusaders AC | 1,500m | ||
| Alistair Cragg | Clonliffe Harriers | 1,500m | ||
| Rory Chesser | Ennis Track Club | 1,500m | ||
| Alistair Cragg | Clonliffe Harriers | 5,000m | ||
| Mark Christie | Mullingar Harriers | 5,000m | ||
| 100m Hurdles | Derval O’Rourke | Leevale AC | ||
| 400m Hurdles | Michelle Carey | Dublin Striders | ||
| 400m Hurdles | Justine Kinney | Loughborough | ||
| 400m Hurdles | Brona Furlong | Slaney Olympic | ||
| 3,000m SC | Fionnuala Britton | Slí Cualann | ||
| 3,000m SC | Stephanie Reilly | Slí Cualann | ||
| High Jump | Deirdre Ryan | Dundrum South Dublin AC | ||
| Long Jump | Kelly Proper | Ferrybank AC | ||
| Pole Vault | Tori Pena † | Finn Valley AC | ||
| Robert Heffernan | Togher AC | 20k Walk | Olive Loughnane | Loughrea AC |
| Jamie Costin | West Waterford AC | 20k Walk | ||
| Robert Heffernan | Togher AC | 50k Walk | ||
| Colin Griffin | Ballinamore AC AC | 50k Walk | ||
| 4X100m Relay | Ailis McSweeney Amy Foster Claire Brady Derval O’Rourke Niamh Whelan Kelly Proper |
Leevale AC North Down AC Celbridge AC Leevale AC Ferrybank AC Ferrybank AC |
||
| David Gillick Gordon Kennedy Brian Gregan Brian Murphy David McCarthy |
Dundrum South Dublin AC Tullamore Harriers Clonliffe Harriers UCC AC Le Cheile AC |
4X400m | Joanne Cuddihy Michelle Carey Justine Kinney Brona Furlong Marian Heffernan Claire Bergin |
Kilkenny City Harriers Dublin Striders Loughborough Slaney Olympic Togher AC Dundrum South Dublin AC |