Ireland reaching for the next level

ATHLETICS IRELAND is in the process of drawing up a plan that will get more athletes front line of battle, more finance in the war chest and — if not bigger booty in the treasure chest — certainly more finalists at major championships, at the end of what promises to be five dramatic years.

While the centrepiece of the High Performance plan will be the National Indoor Athletics Training Centre (NIATC) at Abbotstown, which is scheduled to be up and running by 2012, the federation won’t be waiting around for the official opening of that vital facility.

By that time, they will have already moved on an extensive programme that will drive Irish athletics into a new era. A High Performance Centre will be set up at a revamped Morton Stadium and will be complemented by an endurance centre at DCU, Limerick or Cork; they will have identified locations for a network of five regional development centres, a series of 600m grass training tracks and there will be year-round access to highly successful warm-weather training camps, as well as an altitude training camp.

The new Director of Athletics — successor to Max Jones — is due to take up duty on January 1, and the coaching strategy will be published shortly after that. There are plans to appoint five part-time event group directors and schools and colleges will be targeted under an athlete identification programme.

Praise for the medal successes in boxing was lavished on the High Performance unit following the Beijing Olympics and while athletics, with so many disciplines involved, would require much more manpower and finance to operate such a unit, it would appear from last Saturday’s day-long brainstorming session that they are moving in the same direction.

While initially there will be an outside influence, the current crop of Irish coaches will have a much bigger role to play in the programme, which is designed to improve the quality of performance across all event groups.

The meeting was told that Ireland will be recognised as a centre of excellence in the global context for at least one event group, which will be measured by the number of foreign athletes choosing to base themselves here for training and coaching.

“Elite Irish athletes in all disciplines will have available a credible alternative to the current situation, where many of them are required to be based abroad,” they were told.

The Director of Athletics will be a recognised expert with appropriate coaching experience at Olympic medal level, will have a track record of successful national team management and an international network that will facilitate access to best practice around the world. He or she will be of paramount importance in order to establish credibility for the plan.

In 2010, the Santry High Performance Centre would be extended to include extra events. Two full-time event group directors will be added along with three or four part-time event group directors.

It is expected that the National Indoor Athletics Training Centre (NIATC) will be completed in 2011, the regional development centres will be increased and additional full-time group directors will be appointed.

A strong development programme built on cooperation between clubs and schools will ensure a constant supply of athletic talent into the programme.

* Paul Hession, who finished a close second in the 200m at the world athletics finals in Stuttgart on Sunday, ended a sensational season when he finished fifth in the 100m at last night’s meeting in Szczecin, Poland, in 10.44 secs. Former world record holder, Asafa Powell (Jamaica) won the race in 9.89 secs from US sprinter Mike Rodgers, 10.23 secs. Andrew Hinds of Barbados was third in 10.41 secs.