Akinola, Doyle and McCann added to Irish team for European Indoor Athletics Championships

Ireland are sending a 19-strong team to the European Indoors which run from Thursday February 6 to Sunday February 9.

IRELAND TEAM UPDATED: Bori Akinola, Cathal Doyle, and Jodie McCann have been added to the Irish team for next week’s European Indoor Athletics Championships after finishing inside the quota cut-off point for their respective events.

Eoghan Cormican Bori Akinola, Cathal Doyle, and Jodie McCann have been added to the Irish team for next week’s European Indoor Athletics Championships after finishing inside the quota cut-off point for their respective events.

Tuesday’s publication of the final Road to Appeldoorn rankings list saw Akinola (60m) and McCann (3000m) move up into quota places, with Doyle having already been inside the cut-off point for the 1500m.

There was also an 11th hour jump for Lauren Cadden (400m). She climbed the ladder to sneak the last spot in the women’s 400m. Cadden was already travelling to the Dutch city as part of the 4x400m relay squad.

There was no such 11th hour jump for 17-year-old Derry sprinter Conor Kelly. Although twice breaking the Irish U20 indoor record on his way to 400m gold at Nationals last weekend, he narrowly missed out on securing a place via his world ranking. His final ranking of 34th was just outside the 30 places for the two-lap event. Kelly will still travel to Appeldorn as part of the 4x400m mixed relay team.

The confirmed selection of Akinola, Doyle, and McCann means a 19-strong Irish team will compete at the European Indoors which run from Thursday, February 6, to Sunday, February 9.

Ireland have not won a medal at these championships since 2019, although that six-year drought will be under severe pressure next week as the Irish team contains a number of athletes poised to make the podium in their respective events.

Sarah Healy’s 8:30.79 Irish indoor record over 3000m earlier this month means she will travel to Appeldoorn as the second fastest in her event this year. Andrew Coscoran, who has set Irish indoor records over 1500m, the mile, and 3000m, in recent weeks, will also compete over 3000m at the European Indoors. His 7:30.75 when winning in Boston earlier this month ranks him third in the field.

Also going in ranked third in their event is Mark English. The 31-year-old smashed his own Irish indoor 800m record when clocking 1:45.15 in New York at the beginning of this month. 22-year-old Cian McPhillips will challenge for a medal in the same event. He recently lowered his indoor 800m PB to 1:45.33, a time that puts him fourth on this season’s European list.

Another live medal contender is Kate O’Connor in the pentathlon. Her new national record of 4683 points from three weeks ago places her second in the five-discipline event.

Irish team: Sarah Lavin (60m hurdles, Emerald AC), Sharlene Mawdsley (400m, 4x400m relay, 4x400m mixed relay), Lauren Cadden (400m, 4x400m relay, Sligo AC), Phil Healy (4x400m relay, 4x400m mixed relay, Bandon AC), Rachel McCann (4x400m relay, 4x400m mixed relay, North Down AC), Cliodhna Manning (4x400m relay, Kilkenny City Harriers), Arlene Crossan (4x400m relay, Finn Valley AC), Sarah Healy (3000m, UCD AC), Jodie McCann (3000m, Dublin City Harriers), Kate O’Connor (Pentathlon, Dundalk St Gerard’s AC), Bori Akinola (60m, UCD AC), Mark English (800m, Finn Valley AC), Cian McPhillips (800m, UCD AC), Cathal Doyle (1500m, Clonliffe Harriers), Andrew Coscoran (3000m, Star of the Sea AC), James Gormley (3000m, Carmen Runners AC), Conor Kelly (4x400m mixed relay, Derry Track Club), David Bosch (4x400m mixed relay, UCD AC), Marcus Lawler (4x400m mixed relay, Clonliffe Harriers).