Full Athletics Team Named for European Games
Competition in Krakow 2023 Doubles as European Team Championships
The Olympic Federation of Ireland has today named the forty-four athletes who will compete at the European Games in Krakow. While Athletics has featured on the European Games programme since 2015, this is the first time that it holds European Championship status, with it doubling up as the European Team Championships. The competition takes place in the Silesian Stadium in Chorzow, and runs from the 20th of June until the 26th of June, with the Irish athletes competing on the first three days.
Team Ireland will be competing in Division Three, with the main objective of the team being to gain enough points and strong enough performances to move into Division Two. A full athletics programme of action will be featured during the Games, and this will be the first outing for Athletics Ireland athletes under their new sprint coach, Christian Malcolm.
For following countries are in the third division, with Ireland hoping to come out on top: Bosnia & Herzegovina, Malta, Montenegro, Georgia, Armenia, Andorra, Republic of North Macedonia, San Marino, Albania, AASSE (Athletic Association of the Small States of Europe), Azerbaijan, Kosovo, Austria, Ireland and Israel.
Competition for the Division three events will take place in the morning of the first three days; 20, 21 and 22 of June. The medals in each category will be awarded after athletes in all division have competed, on the 26th of June.
Team Ireland will feature some of the up-and-coming talents in Irish athletics, as well as some seasoned names like Thomas Barr, Sarah Lavin, Phil Healy and Israel Olatunde.
TEAM IRELAND ATHLETICS ATHLETES:
Israel Olatunde (UCD AC Dublin/Louth) 100m (M), 4 x 100m (M) Relay
Mark Smyth (Raheny Shamrock AC) 200m (M), 4 x 100m (M) Relay
Jack Raftery (UCD A.C., Dublin) 400m (M), Mixed 4 x 400m Relay
James Ezeonu (Leevale AC) 100m H (M)
Thomas Barr (Ferrybank AC/Waterford) 400m H (M), Mixed 4 x 400m Relay
Rocco Zaman-Browne (Dundrum South Dublin AC) 800m (M)
Cathal Doyle (Clonliffe Harriers, Dublin) 1500m (M)
Fearghal Curtin (Youghal A.C.) 5000m (M)
Finley Daly (Sligo A.C.) 3000m SC (M)
David Cussen (Old Abbey AC, Cork) High Jump (M)
Reece Ademola (Leevale AC) Long Jump (M)
Michael Bowler (Swinford AC, Mayo) Pole Vault (M)
Jai Benson (Lagan Valley AC) Triple Jump (M)
Eric Favors (Raheny Shamrock A.C./Ballina – Grandmother) Shot Put (M)
Colin Quirke (Crusaders AC, Dublin) Discus Throw
Sean Mockler (Moycarkey Coolcroo AC, Tipperary) Hammer Throw (M)
Conor Cusack (Lake District A.C., Mayo) Javelin
Oliver Swinney (Speed Development Project Track AC) 4 x 100m (M) Relay
Nelvin Appiah (Longford AC) 4 x 100m (M) Relay
Christopher Sibanda (Clonliffe Harriers, Dublin) 4 x 100m (M) Relay
Joseph Ojewumi (Tallaght AC) 4 x 100m (M) Relay
Callum Baird (Ballymena & Antrim AC) Mixed 4 x 400m Relay
Lauren Roy (City of Lisburn) 100m (F), 4 x 100m (F) Relay
Phil Healy (Bandon AC, Cork) 200m (F), 4 x 100m (F) Relay, Mixed 4 x 400m Relay
Sharlene Mawdsley (Newport AC) 400m (F), Mixed 4 x 400m Relay
Sarah Lavin (Emerald AC/Limerick) 100m H (F), 4 x 100m (F) Relay
Kelly McGrory (Tir Chonall AC) 400m H (F), 4 x 400m (F) Relay
Louise Shanahan (Leevale AC) 800m (F)
Sophie O’Sullivan (Ballymore Cobh AC, Cork) 1500m (F)
Aoibhe Richardson (Kilkenny City Harriers) 5000m (F)
Ava O’Connor (Tullamore Harriers, Offaly) 3000m SC (F)
Ruby Millet (St. Abban’s AC, Co. Laois) Long Jump (F)
Saragh Buggy (St. Abban’s AC, Co. Laois) Triple Jump (F)
Sommer Lecky (Finn Valley AC) High Jump (F)
Ellie McCartney (City of Lisburn A.C., Antrim) Pole Vault (F)
Michaela Walsh (Swinford AC, Mayo) Shot Put (F)
Grace Casey (Clonliffe Harriers, Dublin) Javelin (F)
Niamh Fogarty (Raheny Shamrock AC) Discus Throw (F)
Nicola Tuthill (UCD AC/Cork) Hammer Throw (F)
Adeyemi Talabi (Longford AC) 4 x 100m (F) Relay
Joan Healy (Leevale AC) 4 x 100m (F) Relay
Sarah Leahy (Killarney Valley) 4 x 100m (F) Relay
Mollie O’Reilly (Dundrum South Dublin) 4 x 100m (F) Relay
Roisin Harrison (Emerald AC, Limerick) Mixed 4 x 400m Relay
Team Ireland Chef de Mission for Krakow 2023, Gavin Noble said,
“We are delighted to be working with Athletics Ireland at the European Games in Krakow, on what will be an important competition on their calendar. For many athletes on the team this will be their first step into a multi-sport environment, for some, like Israel and Ava, we are looking forward to working with them again, following on from their EYOF participation. The experience of Olympians like Thomas, Sarah, Phil and Louise on the team, will also give the team a huge boost.”
Paul McNamara, Athletics Ireland Director of High Performance, said,
“The European Team Championships is an outstanding event with a novel team format that differentiates it from other major championships. It is akin to the European Cross Country Championships in that it provides a gauge of our standing in European Athletics. The format gives an opportunity to emerging athletes to compete alongside many of our very best, and all compete with the overall aim of team success. We find ourselves in Division 3 as a result of having skipped this event in 2021, due to Covid restrictions, and we have the sole aim of earning automatic promotion.”
This is the penultimate sport to be announced by Team Ireland for the European Games this summer, with the final announcement to be revealed tomorrow, in conjunction with a European Games briefing at the Crowne Plaza. The European Games run from the 20th of June to the 2nd of July in Krakow and will see approximately 120 Irish athletes across seventeen sports. This is the third edition of the European Games, which is a multi-sport event run by the European Olympic Committees and will see athletes compete across districts in the Krakow-Malopolska region.
