Athletics Ireland confirm indoor micro meet

The February 20-21 meet will allow for a Covid-19 compliant event for European Indoor qualification purposes

Athletics Ireland has confirmed that the Sport Ireland Expert Group have secured government approval for an Indoor micro meet to take place for invited high-performance athletes in the Sport Ireland National Indoor Arena later this month.

The February 20-21 meet will allow for a Covid-19 compliant event for European Indoor qualification purposes and for the attainment of Category E World Ranking points for all those athletes working towards Tokyo qualification.

Entry will be restricted to athletes tracking towards Olympic Games qualification and European Indoor Championships qualification, including senior relay panels, and invitations will be issued in the coming days.

A small number of additional athletes may be invited to ensure the event is compliant with permitting requirements so that all results are valid for qualification purposes.

The participation of each athlete must be approved by Government via Sport Ireland Expert Group.

With the European Indoor Championships currently scheduled to take place on March 5, 6, and 7 in Poland, Athletics Ireland recognises that many of the elite athletes need competition to enable qualification.

Athletics Ireland will ensure the safety of all athletes, coaches, officials, volunteers, and staff takes priority during this event.

Welcoming the news, Athletics Ireland CEO Hamish Adams said: “It is a privilege for us to be allowed to host this micro event and we thank Sport Ireland and the Government for their backing and trust of Athletics Ireland.

“This event has been planned and negotiated over many weeks and we have committed to delivering an event of the highest safety standard to ensure the health status of all involved and that of our nation is protected.”