'Strongest team display' sees Ireland maintain league position

Team manager Patsy McGonagle hailed the efforts of Ireland's top track and field stars as they finished a very credible eighth in the European Team Championships 1st League event in Budapest.

Helped by race wins from Jason Smyth, Paul Hession, Thomas Chamney, Niamh Whelan and Marian Andrews, the Irish side batted above their weight against some top class opposition.

Chamney come through strongly to take a valuable victory in the 800 metres, winning in a time of 1 minute, 47.86 seconds. That secured 12 team points for Ireland, the same amount that Smyth (100m) and Hession (200m) had earlier secured.

Second place finishes for David Gillick (400m) and Mark Christie (5000m) annexed 11 points, a tally matched by 100m hurdler Derval O'Rourke who showed plenty of promise ahead of the European Championships in Barcelona next month.

O'Rourke produced a seasonal best to earn second place in a strong field, crossing the line in 12.80 seconds (with a +2.1 m/s following wind). Turkey's Nevin Yanit (12.74) was just ahead of her, and significantly the Cork woman beat her Swedish rival Susanna Kallur (12.88) into fourth).

Waterford's Niamh Whelan also finished second in her event, the 200m. It was a memorable day for the Ferrybank athlete as she took a massive chunk off her personal best (23.83) by winning the race in a time of 23.30.

Still only 19, Whelan has a huge future ahead of her in sprinting. Today's run puts her third on the Irish all-time list, and the time is inside the qualifying standard of 23.50 for the upcoming European Championships.

There were a heartening amount of season's bests from other Irish athletes at the meet, steeplechaser Fionnuala Britton, hurdler Tom Carey, Kerry Harty (3000m), Mary McLoone (long jump) and Claire Wilkinson (pole vault) among them.

Another 19-year-old, Aoife Hickey from Kilkenny, threw 54.25m for a season's best performance in the hammer, while Lisburn's Kelly McNeice battled through an Achilles injury to register a new season's best of 4 minutes, 16.32 in the 1500m.

A men's 4x100m relay team comprising Smyth, Hession, Chris Russell and Jonathan Holmes clocked 40.09 seconds for the fifth fastest time in their event. The 4x400m quartet of Gillick, Gordon Kennedy, Brian Murphy and Nick Hogan came home in 3:07.29 for sixth position overall.

In the women's relays, the 4x400m team of Andrews, Brona Furlong, Justine Kinney and Michelle Carey finished sixth overall in a time of 3:35.44. The 4x100m side, which included O'Rourke, Whelan, Claire Brady and Ailis McSweeney, claimed an impressive second spot (44.53).

All that left Ireland in eighth place and comfortably away from relegation which befalls the bottom two of the 12 competing teams. The Czechs, Sweden and Portual have secured promotion into the top league for next year.

Considering the Irish won the 2nd League twelve months ago and were missing big performers like Eileen O'Keeffe and Joanne Cuddihy who are both injured, this was a superb weekend's work by the entire team.

Ireland manager Patsy McGonagle was delighted with the performances put in and insisted that, 'we will maintain our league 1 status with aim of a top five finish in next year's competition.'

"In my 15 years of involvement in Irish athletics, this is the strongest team display I have witnessed," he proudly proclaimed.

EUROPEAN TEAM CHAMPIONSHIPS 1ST LEAGUE - FINAL STANDINGS:

1: Czech Republic 355.5 points

2: Sweden 323.5

3: Portugal 295.5

4: Romania 287

5: Hungary 275

6: Holland 274.5

7: Belgium 259

8: Ireland 240.5

9: Turkey 224

10: Slovenia 204.5

11: Estonia 189

12: Lithuania 184