Irish Olympians who competed at the Tokyo Olympics such as Thomas Barr (400mH), Sarah Lavin (100mH), Louise Shanahan (800m), Sarah Healy (UCD AC), Michelle Finn (3000mSC), Marcus Lawler (200m & 400m), Mark English (800m), David Kenny (10,000mWalk), Phil Healy (400m), Sophie Becker (400m), Christopher O’Donnell (400m) and Fionnuala McCormack (5000m) will all compete this weekend.

From team mates to rivals

The women’s 400m will see Ireland’s fastest women take to the start line. Phil Healy (Bandon AC), Sophie Becker (Raheny Shamrock AC), Sharlene Mawdsley (Newport AC), and Róisín Harrison (Emerald AC) move from Irish 4x400m teammates to rivals through the heats on Saturday ahead of Sunday’s final at 7:45pm. Healy and Becker will be neck and neck after Healy clocked a season best of 51.82 seconds just 0.01 seconds faster than Becker’s recent PB.

2022 World Indoor Championship Finalist and Olympian Sarah Lavin (Emerald AC) is set to produce another incredible performance in the 100m Hurdles this afternoon at 3pm, after setting a new PB of 12.93 seconds while competing in Spain this past week.

Olympian Marcus Lawler (Clonliffe Harriers) is set to lead the men’s 200m competition but will have a battle on his hands with Robert McDonnell (Galway City Harriers) and Mark Smyth (Raheny Shamrock AC) also taking to the start line at 4.10pm on Saturday.

In the middle-distance finals, Nick Griggs (Mid Ulster AC) and Luke McCann (UCD AC) will compete in the 1500m.

Competitive Men’s 5,000 title

Darragh McElhinney (UCD AC), Paul Robinson (St Coca’s AC), Hiko Haso Tonosa (DSD AC), Paul O’Donnell (DSD AC), Efrem Gidey (Clonliffe Harriers), Keelan Kilrehill (Moy Valley AC), Scott Fagan (Metro St Brigid’s AC) and Emmet Jennings (DSD AC) will all be in contention for the Men’s 5,000m final championship title.

Olympian Sarah Healy (UCD AC) in the 1500m will be an event not to miss. Having secured her first 1500m senior title last year, she has since broken Sonia O’Sullivan’s 1991 Irish U23 record this season in 4:02.86 (4^th all time).

There will be a team aspect in the field events for the 150th edition of the championships, with the best performance of the top 2 club athletes being added together. The overall team winners will be presented with a special medal.

Action live on Youtube and RTÉ

Saturday’s action begins at 1.30pm, while competition starts on Sunday at 1pm.

Both days of competition will be streamed on the Athletics Ireland YouTube Channel.

RTÉ will be covering the Championships on Radio 1 throughout both days and RTÉ 1 Live television coverage from 6.05pm-8.30pm on Sunday.

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This weekend, Molly Scott equalled the national 60m indoor record, before breaking it hours later, at the IUAA Track & Field Intervarsity Championships.

The Carlow athlete ran 7.27 earlier in the day to become a joint holder of the record with Amy Foster.

7.23 NATIONAL 60M RECORD. I’m the fastest Irish woman EVER indoors. A dream I’ve had since I was 10. To do this with my Mam as my coach makes it that more special. Excited for what’s to come pic.twitter.com/tXiIaR9qCX

— Molly Scott (@runmollyrun101) January 29, 2022

The St. Laurence O’Toole’s sprinter later became outright holder of the record with a stunning time of 7.23 seconds. Scott burst from the blocks in her now trademark style and powered all the way to the line to claim top spot on the Irish all-time list.

Israel Olatunde from UCD AC provided a new Irish U23 60m Record of 6.64 at TUS International Arena in Athlone, only two weeks after breaking Paul Hession’s 10 year old record.

RECORD ALERT

Israel Olatunde from UCD AC provided a new Irish U23 60m Record of 6.64 at TUS Arena in Athlone during the league Round 2

Just TWO Weeks after he broke Paul Hessions 10 Year Reign on the record. #IndoorSeason #IrishAthletics #NationalRecord pic.twitter.com/g9NSGa2QB3

— Athletics Ireland (@irishathletics) January 23, 2022

East Cavan Eagles AC’s Casey Mulvey  set a new Irish U20 indoor record of 15.30m in the Shot Put at the Notre Dame Invite last weekend.

Rhasidat Adeleke broke her own Irish U23 400m Indoor Record last Sunday, setting a new time of 52.61 seconds. Adeleke is now a podium part of the all-time Irish senior list behind Karen Shinkins (51.58) and Phil Healy (51.94).

Women’s 400m

Kennedy Simon wins the event at 52.15 seconds
3. Rhasidat Adeleke – 52.61
4. Stacey Ann Williams – 52.62 pic.twitter.com/V4p4daoDPp

— Texas T&F/XC (@TexasTFXC) January 21, 2022

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