OCI ready to accept revised Olympic qualifying standards

Athletics Ireland High Performance Director Kevin Ankrom says the Olympic Council of Ireland are likely to accept the IAAF’s revised qualifying standards for next year’s Games, a move which would see middle distance runners Ciara Mageean and Ciara Everard both secure qualifying times nine months in advance. 

On Thursday, the IAAF announced it was easing the qualifying standards across 17 events in a bid to boost participation numbers, with performances after May 1, 2015 eligible for qualification.

Everard ran 2:01.21 for 800m in May, marginally outside the original qualification standard of 2:01.00, but with the standard changed to 2:01.50, the 25-year-old from Kilkenny will now have one foot on the plane to Rio de Janeiro. That’s also the case for Ciara Mageean, whose 1500m best this year of 4:06.49 was outside the prior qualifying standard of 4:06.00, but is quicker than the adjusted standard of 4:07.00.