Cork City entry may be ‘best ever’

Cork City Sports chairman Tony O’Connell yesterday described the entry list for next month’s event as “shaping up to be the best” in the event’s history.

Top Irish athletes, Robert Heffernan, Fionnuala Britton, Paul Hession, Ciaran O’Lionaird, Orla Drumm, Ciara Mageean, Marian Heffernan and Kelly Proper are confirmed starters at the Cork IT Grounds on Tuesday, July 17 (6pm).

Speaking at yesterday’s launch in City Hall, O’Connell also revealed an exciting international field is set for Leeside.

O’Connell said: “The 61st Cork City Sports International Pre-Olympic meeting is shaping up to be the best ever. Not alone are most of the top Irish athletes confirmed, but other top internationals expected to compete in Cork include Ryan Gregson (Australia), Travis Padgett (USA), Danny McFarlane (Jamaica), Jamie Nieto (USA), Fabrice Lapierre (Australia), Sheri-Ann Brooks (Jamaica), and Tracey Andersson (Sweden).

“In the mile, athletes of the calibre of Ryan Gregson, Jon Rankin, Paul Robinson, David Campbell, Russell Brown, Ross Murray, Taylor Milne, Ciaran Ó Lionaird, Peter van der Westhuizen, Brian Gagnon, Zane Robertson, and Andy Baddeley are set to do battle.”

Barbara Pierre (USA), Ivet Lalova (Bulgaria), Alie Israel (USA) will battle it out in the women’s sprints alongside Irish trio Kelly Proper, Ailis McSweeney and Catherine McManus while in the mile, Zoe Buckham (Australia), Gabriele Anderson (USA), Margherita Magnani (Italy) and home pair Orla Drumm, and Ciara Mageean are amongst the favourites.

In the 3000m, European champion Fionnuala Britton faces Janet Kisa (Kenya), Eilish McColgan (Scotland), and Katie Mackey (USA).

Meanwhile Athletics Ireland have confirmed they will host the European Team Track and Field Championships First League. The last time Ireland hosted a European team event was in 1997, when the competition was known as the European Cup. The European Athletics Council announced the decision this afternoon after the Athletics Association of Ireland presented their candidacy to host the event.

Athletics Ireland Chief Executive John Foley said: “The opportunity to host the championships is a great honour for Irish sport. I have no doubt that the 2013 championships will emulate the success of the 2009 Spar European Cross Country Championships which we hosted in Ireland.”