Cork's McElhinney and Nicholson among four Irish athletes to receive World Championship invitations

The 28-athlete team will be the biggest Ireland has ever sent to the championships. 

Darragh McElhinney (Bantry AC) and Laura Nicholson (Bandon AC) have both received invitations to the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo. Pics: Sportsfile

Four Irish athletes have secured invites from World Athletics for the upcoming World Championships in Tokyo, with Efrem Gidey (10,000m), Darragh McElhinney (5000m), Laura Nicholson (1500m) and Sophie Becker (400m) all set to contest individual events at the year’s showpiece event, which begins at the Japan National Stadium on September 13.

All four had been outside their respective event quotas when the deadline closed last week and were waiting to see if other athletes would turn down their places. But they received invites from the world governing body over the weekend and will take the total number of travelling athletes to 28 – the biggest team Ireland has ever sent to the event.