Ireland’s top athletics stars will join over 2,000 athletes from 200 countries at the World Athletics Championships which take place in the Hungarian capital of Budapest from tomorrow, August 19th to 27th.
The Irish squad, which is the largest ever selected for a World Athletics Championships, will be spearheaded by European Championship medal winners Ciara Mageean (1500m) and Mark English (800m), while Sarah Lavin (100mh) and Rhasidat Adeleke (400m and relay) will also look to continue their outstanding seasons.
Irish record holders Andrew Coscoran (1500m) and Brian Fay (5000m) will be targeting World final appearances, while recent European medallists Sophie O’Sullivan (1500m), Sarah Healy (1500m), and Nick Griggs (1500m) will all look to gain valuable senior championship experience.
In all, 15 of the 24 Irish athletes selected for Budapest 2023 have set new personal bests in their respective events this year, making the prospect of surpassing last year’s total of nine ‘top-24 placings’ at the World Championships in Oregon a realistic target.
That setting of attainable but still stretch targets is a winner with too much of the narrative around individual sports determined by whether a medal has been won or not. We will be able to track against this target in daily coverage from Budapest.
The competitive nature of these Championships is testified to by the fact that Ireland has claimed six medals in its history. Eamonn Coughlan won Gold in the 5,000 metres in 2003. Sonia O’Sullivan won 5,000 metre Gold in 1995, two years after taking Silver in the 1,500 metres. Since then Gillian O’Sullivan won Gold in the 20K Walk in 2003, Olive Loughnane in the same event six years later and Rob Heffernan in the 50K Walk in 2013.
Saturday, August 19th
The opening day of competition is set to be a busy one for Team Ireland with David Kenny leading out the Irish charge in the 20km walk from 7.50am on Saturday (Irish time).
The 2021 European U23 silver medallist has already gained experience at Olympic and World level and looks set to build on last year’s 39th place finish in Oregon following his season’s best of 1:24:31 over the 20km distance in May.
Irish throwers will also be represented in Budapest with Irish shot put record-holder Eric Favors primed to bring his consistent run of form into his second World Championships early on Saturday morning.
The Raheny athlete is set to take his place in the qualifying round from 9.30am where he can be expected to challenge his 20.66NR.
Kate O’Connor gets her busy weekend up and running in the first of her four heptathlon events on Saturday at 9.35am (100m hurdles). O’Connor comes into his week ranked 14th on her season’s best and is sure to have eyes on outperforming that rank on the back of her superb silver at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham last year.
The high jump, shot put, and 200m also await the Irish record holder on the opening day of competition.
The mixed 4x400m relay team has been one of the leading lights at major championships in recent years, securing finals at both the Tokyo Olympics and World Championships in Oregon.
The team which includes Roisin Harrison, Callum Baird, Christopher O’Donnell, Sophie Becker, Jack Raftery, and Sharlene Mawdsley will go in search of another global final in round one qualifying from 10.05am.
Ciara Mageean will lead the trio of Irish athletes in the 1500m with the City of Lisburn AC star arriving in Budapest full of confidence having smashed Sonia O’Sullivan’s long standing national mile record last month with an incredible 4.14.58.
Mageean will be joined in the 1500m by European U23 medallists Sophie O’Sullivan and Sarah Healy who will look to take the next step in their development among world class opposition.
Saturday’s evening session will see Andrew Coscoran, Luke McCann, and Nick Griggs take their places in round 1 of a stacked looking men’s 1500m.
Coscoran broke his own Irish 1500m record with a sensational performance at the Silesia Diamond League meeting earlier this season, finishing fourth in a world class field in 3.30.42. The Balbriggan athlete will have sights firmly set on making the 1500m final set for Wednesday evening.
Luke McCann boasts a personal best of 3:34.76 from indoors and is sure to have another big outdoor performance on the horizon. 18-year-old Nick Griggs, fresh from his superb silver at the European U20 championships, will be looking to gain valuable senior championship experience as he looks to sign off another outstanding season.
