Nine Irish athletes named for Budapest

ATHLETICS Ireland have named a team of nine for the world indoor championships in Budapest, but could add two more to the squad over the coming days.

Marie McMahon-Davenport could be set to join Maria McCambridge in the women's 3,000m following an 8:58 performance in the US over the weekend.

High Performance Director, Elaine Fitzgerald, will be contacting the Co Clare athlete over the coming days to see if she would be interested in competing.

And high hurdler, Peter Coghlan, is on the verge of qualification. He competes in Kansas over the coming days and should he achieve the standard there he will be added to the team.

Paul McKee, a bronze medallist in the 400m in Birmingham last year, was not available for selection. He goes to London today for treatment on a nerve in his back.

Derval O'Rourke, who made the semi-finals of the 60m hurdles last year, is another absentee. Already behind in her training on account of an injury, she felt a twinge while warming up for her event at the Indoor Championships of Ireland in the Odyssey Arena on Saturday night and, despite the fact that she retained her title impressively, decided to skip the world indoors.

"She has taken a few days' break and will be back in full training on Thursday," Coach Jim Kilty said. "Because she missed some time early on, she is not as advanced as she was this time last year. She would probably make the semi-finals again this year but her target was to make the final and she is not ready for that".

With just two middle distance athletes the other eight athletes named so far are all sprinters.

Since the championships were inaugurated in Indianapolis in 1987 Ireland has won five gold and two silver medals at middle distance.

Cork man Marcus O'Sullivan won three indoor 1,500m titles while Frank O'Mara from Limerick won two at 3,000m. In fact the national record he said while winning the last of his two gold medals in 1991 was only broken last weekend by Alastair Cragg who is still tied by collegiate commitments at University of Arkansas.

Paul Donovan from Galway won a silver medal behind O'Mara in the 3,000m in 1987 while Sonia O'Sullivan won silver in Paris in 1997 when she had the gold medal snatched from her on the line by Gabriela Szabo.

The possibility of sending men's and women's 4 x 400m teams is also under review at the moment. The fact that Paul McKee is not available and David Gillic who appeared to have suffered a damaged hamstring in the semi-finals of 400m in Belfast on Saturday night means that they would be limited.

Karen Shinkins ran her fastest time of the season in Arkansas at the weekend and Joanne Cuddihy ran a perfectly timed race to win in Belfast where Michelle Carey also impressed so the urge to send a women's 4 x 400m team is also there.

Ireland team: Men: 200m: Paul Brizzel (Ballymena & Antrim) and Paul Hession (Athenry); 400m: Dave McCarthy (Celbridge) and Robert Daly (DSD); 1,500m: James Nolan (UCD).

Women: 200m: Ciara Sheehy (DCH); 400m: Karen Shinkins (DCH) and Joanne Cuddihy (UCD). 3,000m: Marie McCambridge (DSD).

Team Manager: Michael Quinlan.