Sprinters head strong Irish team

SPEEDSTERS Derval O’Rourke and Paul Hession head up a strong Irish side to travel to Budapest for the second European Team Championships on June 19-20.

Ireland’s top athletes will be aiming to secure a strong team standing at the end of the weekend after securing promotion to the First Division in last year’s event.

The Irish team will compete in the First Division after finishing second behind Lithuania in Last year’s Division 2 competition in Slovakia.

This event was previously known as the ‘Europa Cup’ where the men’s and women’s teams competed as a separate unit. Now the men and women combine as a single point scoring team, facing Hungary, Czech Republic, Estonia, Portugal, Romania, Sweden and Turkey.

The team is at full strength especially in the sprinting events. David Gillick will be hoping to right the wrongs after a disappointing World Indoor Championship while Hession and O’Rourke will aim to retain the titles taken at this event last year.

Men: Jason Smyth (100m), Paul Hession (200m), David Gillick (400m), Thomas Chamney (800m), Stephen Scullion (1,500m), Rory Chesser (3,000m), Mark Kenneally (5,000m), Ian McDonald (110m hurdles), John Fagan (400m hurdles), Kourosh Foroughi (High Jump), Ian Rogers (Pole Vault), Eoin Hannon (Long Jump), Alan Kennedy (Triple Jump), Sean Breathnach (Shot Putt), Sean Breathnach (Discus), Padraig White (Hammer), Aaron Crawford (Javelin).

Women: Claire Brady (100m), Joanne Cuddihy (200m), Joanne Cuddihy (400m), Rose-anne Galligan (800m), Hazel Murphy (5,000m), Fionnula Britton (3,000 steeplechase), Derval O’Rourke (100m hurdles), Deirdre Ryan (High Jump), Claire Wilkinson (Pole Vault), Kelly Proper (Long Jump), Mary McLoone (Triple Jump), Fiona Moloney (Shot Putt), Claire Fitzgerald (Discus), Aoife Hickey (Hammer), Anita White (Javelin)