700 elite athletes from 50 nations will compete across four days of indoor athletics at the sold-out Omnisport Apeldoorn Stadium from this evening.
The stadium is expected to welcome expected to welcome over 27,500 spectators through the Championships.
It promises to be another hugely exciting championships for Ireland with a host of Olympians set to headline an exciting Irish team who are sure to be targeting more major championship success this weekend.
Team Ireland will be spearheaded in the individual events by the now familiar names of Sharlene Mawdsley (400m), Sarah Healy (3000m), Jodie McCann (3000m), Sarah Lavin (60mH), Kate O’Connor (Pen), Andrew Coscoran (1500m), and Cathal Doyle (1500m).
Four-time European championships medallist Mark English also returns to international action in the 800m where he’ll be joined by the in-form Cian McPhillips of UCD.
James Gormley will make his senior Irish debut alongside the aforementioned Andrew Coscoran in the 3000m, while recent national 60m champion Bori Akinola will don the Irish singlet for the first time as a senior individual athlete.
Lauren Cadden (Sligo AC) and Rachel McCann (North Down AC) will earn their first senior international vests as individuals, while both athletes could also play important relay roles.
Both of the selected relay squads will look to be competitive in the mixed and women’s 4x400m. The teams will look to call upon the experience of Olympic finalists Phil Healy and Sharlene Mawdsley as they bid for more major championship success.
Among the elite athletes competing, Paralympic bronze medallist Orla Comerford is set to line up in the Para 60m mixed classification race on Saturday at 12:17pm Irish time. Comerford delivered an outstanding performance at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, securing a bronze medal in the T13 women’s 100m final.
In this evening’s opening session televised live on RTÉ2, Cathal Doyle in the first round of the Men’s 1500 metres at 18:55 Irish time will get things going for the team, followed by Sarah Lavin in the first round of the Women’s 60 metres hurdles at 19:50 and the final of the Mixed Relay 4×400 metre relay where we have a serious medal chance at 20:50.
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