Track stars to give Dublin Olympic flavour

A taste of the Olympics comes to Dublin tomorrow night (7.15pm) as a host of star names compete in the Morton Games before going for gold in London.

Americans Matthew Centrowitz (1500m), Emma Coburn and Shalaya Kipp (both mile) will be joined in Santry by another dozen athletes — part of a 60 strong international contingent — dreaming of Olympic glory across the channel over the next three weeks.

The Morton Mile will again provide the focal point of a special evening, with Cork’s Ciarán Ó Lionaird attempting to hold off a strong field that includes another 11 sub four-minute men.

The men’s 400 metres will feature 2011 U23 European championship silver medallist Brian Gregan of host club Clonliffe Harriers as well as one of the world’s best athletes — Nick Symmonds — winner of the 800m at the US Olympic trials and running his first professional 400m tomorrow.

Such was the level of interest in the women’s 800m — including Olympics-bound Canadians Melissa Bishop and Jessica Smith — that the field has been split evenly into two top-class races. The Irish challengers will include Orla Drumm and young star Siofra Cleirigh-Buttner.

Visit www.mortongames.ie for more details.