London 2012 Irish Olympic Team Profiles

#1 · 18-07-2012 4:56pm #1

With the final countdown to the Olympic Games upon us, over the next few days I will be putting up profiles of each individual member of the Irish Olympic team. There are 66 athletes on the Irish team for London 2012, 36 men and 30 women. So meet the team!!

Team Ireland 2012:

Introducing the Irish Olympians of the Games of the XXX Olympiad....

ATHLETICS: 23 TEAM MEMBERS......

Paul Hession(Men's 200m):

· Date of birth: 27/01/1983

· Place of birth: Athenry, Co.Galway

· Height: 1.83m/ 6 ft 0 in

· Club: Athenry A.C.

· Olympic Appearances: Second time Olympian (competed in Beijing 2008)

· Honours and Career Bests: 10th place overall at Olympics (2008); Silver medal World University Games (2003); bronze medal World University Games (2005); Irish senior record holder over 100m, 200m and 300m; 6th place European Championship final (2006); 10th place overall Worlds (2009); 2nd in World Athletics Grand Prix Final (2008); Irish track athlete of the year (2008).

· Nickname: "Hesh"

· Additional Info: Medical Student at N.U.I. Galway

· Twitter Account: https://twitter.com/phession

· Website: http://www.paulhession.co/

Form guide:

Paul's set a season's best of 20.54secs at the Cork City Sports event mid-July so he is rounding into some decent form just when it matters. He has had a fairly slow start to the season and is well down on his all time best form (20.30secs set at the Irish Nationals in 2007).
One worrying trend is that Paul's season's best has become progressively slower every year since 2007.

Results at Major Championships:

Olympic Games:

· Beijing 2008 - 5th in his semi-final (20.38secs), 10th place overall.

World Championships:

· Helsinki, 2005 - Quarterfinals (21.69secs)

· Osaka 2007 - 6th in his semi-final (20.50secs), 12th place overall.

· Berlin 2009 - 6th in his semi-final (20.48secs), 10th overall

· Daegu 2011 - 4th in his first-round heat (21.02secs)

European Championships:

· Munich 2002 - 7th in his first-round heat (21.28secs)

· Gothenburg 2006 - 7th in his semi-final (21.09secs)

· Barcelona 2010 - 6th in the final (20.71secs)

· Helsinki 2012 - 8th in the final (21.27secs)

London 2012 Prospects:

Paul has a huge amount of experience at major championships and he knows how to perform on the biggest stage of all, as seen by his 10th place finish at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing over the 200m.
However, Paul is not currently producing the times that will be required to replicate his top-class performances of 4-years ago. He needs to find another couple of tenths of a second to seriously challenge for a spot in the semi-finals and in a short race like the 200m, that is a big improvement. If he runs to his season's best in his opening round he will have a good chance of progressing to the next round but he may need to run faster to progress to the semis.
One bit of encouragement we can take is that Paul has been improving his season's best bit by bit over the course of the summer and he has recognised that he made mistakes in the past of peaking too early in the season and not producing his best times at the major championships as a result. He does look to be going in the right direction in terms of getting faster as London approaches so maybe he will peak big time in London.
Probably a semi-final place is a realistic target for London but he will need to be at his best to get there. The final seems beyond his reach this season but let's see what happens.

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Ciaran O'Lionaird (Men's 1,500m):

· Date of Birth: 11/04/1988

· Native town: Macroom, Co.Cork

· Club: Leevale A.C.

· Olympic Appearances: First time Olympian

· Honours and Career Bests: 10th place in World Final (2011); 4th on all-time list of Irish 1,500m best times

· Nicknames: Mad Len; The Bullet with the Mullet

· Twitter Account: https://twitter.com/GoCiaran

· Website: http://www.gociaran.com/

Form Guide:

Ciaran's current form is largely unknown, however he did compete over the mile at the Cork City Sports meet and posted a sub-4min time, nt bad for his first race since the indoor season in March. He burst onto the international scene last season with a massive new P.B. at a meet in Belgium, a world class time that qualified him to compete at the 2011 World Championships in Daegu. It was at those championships that he really proved himself to be a big future prospect….he duly coasted through to the qualifying rounds and went on to claim a creditable 10th place in the final.
As has been the case for most of his senior career thus far, his 2012 season has been ravaged by injury. After a glorious start to the year where he was burning up the track indoors, setting some hugely impressive times over the one mile distance (times of world class standard), he since has been struggling with injury. However, according to his twitter updates he has surprised even himself by how quickly he is catching up with the workload in training and after some very low weeks when his spirits where down in the dumps, his confidence seems to be returning to where it had been early in the season. Until he gets a few races under his belt and gets his race fitness up to scratch, it is very difficult to assess his chances in London.
The last 18 months for Ciaran have not just seen big revisions to his personal bests but there have been dramatic changes to his training set-up in that time too. Having trained for a few months at the Nike Oregon Project under the tutelage of world-renowned coach Alberto Salazar and alongside top-class athletes such as Mo Farah (world 5,000m champion) and Galen Rupp, O'Lionaird moved his set up over 100 miles to another Oregon based elite group in Eugene.
From his latest blogs and twitter updates, things seem to be going in the right direction once again.

London 2012 Prospects:

If Ciaran can put his injury woes well and truly behind him and get some races in before London then he might run himself back into form. If he gets near the kind of form we saw from him earlier this season then a place in the final is a distinct possibility for him and after that then who knows how far up the field he can finish. But that's a big if...his training is getting him back on track but it won't be until he gets some races under his belt when we'll get an idea of what we could produce in London.

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Alistair Cragg (Men's 5,000m):

· Date of birth: 13/06/1980

· Place of birth: Johannesburg, South Africa

· Current residence: Fayetteville, Arkansas U.S.A.; Training base at Mammoth Lakes, California.

· Club: Clonliffe Harriers, Dublin

· Olympic Appearances: Third-time Olympian

· Honours and Career Bests: European Indoor 3,000m champion (2005); Twice Olympic finalist over 5,000m (2004, 2008); 12th place over 5,000m at Athens Olympics (2004) 4th place over 3,000m at World Indoor Championships (2006); World Championships finalist, 14th place overall (2011); European 5km Road record holder; Irish record holder over 5,000m, 10,000m and Half-Marathon distances.

· Twitter Account:https://twitter.com/alistaircragg

· Additional Info: Alistair was born in Johannesburg, South Africa and has held Irish citizenship since 1985 (when he was 5). He declared for Ireland back in 2003 and competes regularly on the international circuit and Diamond League events.

Results at Major Championships:

Olympic Games:

· Athens, 2004 - 12th in 5,000m Final

· Beijing, 2008 - Qualified for Final, Did not Finsih in the final

World Championships:

· Osaka, 2007 - 13th in his heat

· Berlin, 2009 - 13th in his heat

· Daegu, 2011 - 14th in the Final

European Championships:

· Gothenburg, 2006 - Did not finish Final

· Barcelona, 2010 - Did not finish Final

World Indoor Championships:

· Moscow, 2006 - 4th in 3,000m Final

European Indoor Championships:

· Madrid, 2005 - Gold Medal Winner (3,000m)

· Birmingham, 2007 - 6th place in Final (3,000m)

Form Guide:

Season's best: 13:32.76mins (5,000m)
Personal best: 13:03.53mins (5,000m)

Generally when it comes to Alistair Cragg at major championships, the form guide tends to go out the window. In the past when he came to the big championships with a stellar season behind him things haven't always gone to plan. However, in the same vein, there were other seasons when he went to the Championships with little form and produced a good run, qualifying him for the final.
This year, Alistair has had mixed form. On the track he is yet to shine this season, whilst on the road it has been a completely different story, setting a new Irish and European Record over 5km back in April in Carlsbad.
He originally planned to run in the marathon in London and after producing a world class half-marathon time it looked as if his plans were coming to fruition. However, he failed to finish during both attempts to bag the marathon qualifying standard (Boston and Fukuoka) so he set his sights on qualifying for the track over 5,000m and 10,000m. He succeeded in his attempt at the 5,000m qualifying time and set a new Irish record of 13:03.53mins in Brussels last September. His 10,000m qualification attempt was not quite so successful as he failed to finish his attempt at the standard at the Payton Jordan Invitational in Stanford earlier this season.

London 2012 Prospects:

Alistair has made 2 Olympic 5,000m finals already in his career and he is in with a chance of making it again. In an event completely dominated by Ethiopian and Kenyan runners, and with only 15 spots max available in the 5,000m final, to make the Olympic final on 3 consecutive occasions would be a great achievement.

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Mark Kenneally (Marathon):

· Date of Birth: 18/04/1981

· Hometown: Celbridge, Co.Kidlare

· Club: Clonliffe Harriers

· Olympic Appearances: First Time Olympian

· Honours and Career Bests: National Champion over 10,000m (2011); 15th place over 10,000m European Championships Final (2012); 18th place Amsterdam Marathon (2011); 68th place World Cross Country (2009), European Cup, Second League victory over 3,000m

· Additional Info: Runs his own physiotherapy practice in Celbridge.

· Twitter Account:https://twitter.com/markk42k

Form Guide:

Mark showed he is in the shape of his life when setting a new personal best over 10,000m at the end of May in Wageningen, Netherlands and more recently when finishing in 15th place at the European Championships in Helsinki over 10,000m also.

Results at Major Championships:

European Championships:

· Helsinki, 2012 - 15th place in 10,000m Final (29:10.55mins)

World Cross Country Championships:

· Brussels, 2004 - 72nd place

· St.Etienne, 2005 - 89th place

· Amman, 2009 - 68th place

London 2012 Prospects:

Mark is heading to London in his best ever shape and while he won't be up there battling with some notable high-class East-Africans towards the end of the race we can still expect Mark to do Ireland proud in London. In a field of well over 100 starters, Mark will be hoping to concentrate on his own performance and a finish in the top 50 in a gruelling event like the Olympic marathon would be a great achievement. Bearing in mind that the Olympic marathon usually produces slower times due to the intensity of the occasion as well as less than ideal weather-conditions for long-distance running, if Mark can get near to his best time or indeed anywhere in the region of sub 2hrs 15 mins he would comfortably place in the top 50 and likely much higher. To run near your best ever time in an Olympic marathon though in the height of summer would be a great achievement.

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Robert Heffernan (20km and 50km Walks):

· Date of birth: 20/02/1978

· Place of birth: Cork

· Height: 1.73m / 5 ft 8 in

· Club: Togher A.C.

· Olympic Appearances: Fourth-time an Olympian

· Honours and Career Bests: 4th in 20km Walk, European Championships (2010); 4th in 50km walk, Europeans (2010); 6th in 20km walk at Worlds (2007); 8th in 20km walk at Olympics (2008); 4th in European Race Walking Cup (2009); 12th Race Walking World Cup (2012); Irish record holder over both 20km and 50km walks.

· Twitter account:https://twitter.com/RM_Heffernan

· Website:http://www.robandmarianheffernan.com/

Results at Major Championships:

Olympic Games:

· Sydney 2000 - 28th in 20km walk (1:26:04hrs)

· Athens 2004 - Disqualified in 20km walk

· Beijing 2008 - 8th place in 20km walk (1:20:36hrs)

World Championships:

· Edmonton 2001 - 14th in 20km walk (1:25:02hrs)

· Helsinki 2005 - Disqualified in 20km walk

· Osaka 2007 - 6th place in 20km walk (1:23:42hrs)

· Berlin 2009 - 15th place in 20km walk (1:22:09hrs)

European Championships:

· Munich 2002 - 8th place in 20km walk (1:21:10hrs)

· Barcelona 2010 - 4th place in 20km walk (1:21:hrs); 4th place in 50km walk (3:45:30hrs)

Form Guide:

Personal bests:
· 20km walk - 1:19:22hrs (Cheboksary, 2008)
· 50km walk - 3:45:30hrs (Barcelona, 2010)

Season's bests:
· 20km walk - 1:20:39hrs (Lugano)
· 50km walk - not raced in 2012, last raced 3:49:28hrs in Naumburg, Sept. 2011)

Rob is in great shape again heading to London having spent most of the winter warm-weather training in Australia. His training is now very much geared towards tackling the 50km distance but he will attempt both 20km and 50km events in London. The extra mileage training for 50km does not seem to be hampering his efforts over the shorter 20km distance and he still remains a regular top 10 finisher in international competitions over that distance.
Rob's wife Marian will also be competing in London and they will become the first husband and wife duo to represent the country in the same Olympiad.

London 2012 Prospects:

There is no doubt about it that Rob heads to London as one of Ireland's best performers and has an outside shot at a medal particularly over the 50km distance where his talents are still largely undiscovered. Since his staggering performances of Barcelona in 2010 at the European Championships, where he placed 4th in both events (despite having never contested a serious 50km walk event before) he is much more prepared now to tackle the longer distance, and during his efforts at the Euros 2 years ago, he showed he had much more to offer the 50km event, having finished faster than everyone else after a cautious approach to pacing in the early stages of that race.

Rob could well push for top 10 in both events....a podium finish over 20km is unlikely but he won't be too far off the pace of the leaders either. Over 50km, a top 10 is odds on if things go well, and if things go really well then you can't rule out the possibility of him claiming a medal. Top 8 is very realistic at least.

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Brendan Boyce (Men's 50km Walk):

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304105_251626844877510_104867116220151_772458_7882726_n-460x305.jpg

· Date of Birth: 15/10/1986

· Native town: Milford, Co.Donegal

· Training base: Leeds University

· Club: Letterkenny A.C.

· Olympic Appearances: First time Olympian

· Honours and Career Bests: 15th at World University Games (2011) over 20km walk distance; 29th at European Cup in 20km walk (2011); 4th on the Irish all-time list in 50km walk.

· Twitter Account: https://twitter.com/brendanboyce

· Website: http://www.brendanboyce.co.uk/

Form Guide:

With two Olympic A-standard under his belt for London 2012 we know that the 25-year-old is in good shape.

London 2012 Prospects:

London 2012 will be a stepping stone for the future for Brendan. London 2012 is but the start of what could be a bright future for the Donegal native. He has huge scope for major progress in the sport given that most in his event don't hit their peak until their 30s and beyond, so Brendan has another 10 years at least to realise his potential.
Finishing as high up the field and taking in the whole experience of the Olympics would be a good beginning to Boyce's burgeoning career in race walking.

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Colin Griffin (50km Walk):

· Date of birth: 03/08/1982

· Hometown: Ballinamore, Co.Leitrim

· Training base: Limerick

· Height: 1.85m / 6 ft 1 in

· Club: Ballinamore A.C.

· Olympic Appearances: Second time Olympian

· Honours and Career Bests: 11th place in European Championships 50km walk (2010); 15th place in Race Walking World Cup 50km walk (2012); 13th place in World University Games 20km walk (2003); 3rd in the All-Time List of Irish 50km Walk performances.

· Twitter:https://twitter.com/colingriffin

· Website:http://www.colingriffin.ie/

Results at Major Championships:

Olympic Games:

·Beijing 2008 - Disqualified in 50km walk

World Championships:

·Osaka 2007 - Disqualified in 50km walk

·Berlin 2009 - Disqualified in 50km walk

·Daegu 2011 - Disqualified in 50km walk

European Championships:

·Barcelona 2010 - 11th place in 50km walk

Race Walking World Cup:

·Torino 2002 - 39th in 20km walk (1:29:37hrs)

·Naumburg 2004 - 70th place in 20km walk (1:29:12hrs)

·Leamington Spa 2006 - 4th place in 20km walk (1:25:09hrs)

·Cheboksary 2008 - 24th place in 50km walk (3:58:26hrs)

·Chihuahua 2010 - 21st place in 50km walk (4:06:05hrs)

·Saransk 2012 - 15th place in 50km walk (3:52:55hrs)

Form Guide:

Season's best:
· 3:52:55hrs (50km walk)
· 1:24:45hrs (20km walk)

Personal best:
· 3:51:32hrs (50km walk - 2007)
· 1:23:53hrs (20km walk - 2010)

Colin has had a lot of problems over the last few seasons, particularly with disqualifications but in his most recent race over the distance at the World Cup in Russia, he conquered his demons and bagged the A qualification standard for the Olympics. It was also his second fastest time recorded over the distance and fastest time in 5 years.

London 2012 Prospects:

Having encountered difficulties in all previous senior global championships to date (World Championships and Olympics in 2008) the pressure will be on Colin to finally get the monkey of his back and perform to his undoubted potential. He has shown glimpses of how much talent he has in the past, his 11th place finish in the European Championships was one such example. Also, Colin can head to London with a confident boosting 15th place finish at the World Cup in Russia and the time there he posted there was impressive especially given the pressure he was under to attain that elusive qualifying standard for London.
If Colin can perform to his best in London then a top 15 place at the Olympics is within his reach and any walker coming in under the 3:50hr benchmark will not be too far off a top 10 placing.

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Joanne Cuddihy (Women's 400m, 4x400m Relay):

· Date of birth: 11/05/1984

· Hometown: Kilkenny City

· Training base: Canberra, Australia

· Height: 1.84m / 6ft 0 in

· Club: Kilkenny City Harriers

· Olympic Appearances: Second time Olympian

· Honours and Career Bests: 8th in final of European Championships (2006); 11th place overall at World Championships (2007); Silver medal at European Junior Championships (2003); 6th at World Junior Championships (2002); 5th at World Youth Championships (2001).

Other info: Joanne is a qualified medical doctor

Results at Major Championships:

Olympic Games:

· Beijing 2008 - 6th in her first round heat (53.32secs)

World Championships:

· Osaka 2007 - 11th place overall, 4th in her semi-final (50.73secs)

· Daegu 2011 - Qualified for semi-final (51.82secs); Disqualified for false start in semi-final

European Championships:

· Gothenburg 2006 - 8th place in final (51.46secs)

· Barcelona 2010 - 4th place in her first round heat (52.28secs)

· Helsinki 2012 - Disqualified for stepping out of her lane in first round heat

Form Guide:

Season's best: 51.43secs (Fukuroi, Japan)
Personal best: 50.73secs (Osaka, Japan 2007)

Joanne has been in great form this year and has been approaching the sort of form that saw her to her national record and 11th place overall at the World Championships in Osaka in 2007. At the Irish Nationals in early July, she completed an impressive 200m-400m double and her time in the shorter distance is a good indication that Joanne isn't too far off from getting back to her very best form.

London 2012 Prospects:

If Joanne replicates her current form at the Olympics in early August then she should progress from the heats without too much trouble. However, the semi-final stage is a big step up from the heats, yet Joanne can expect to be competitive. If Joanne gets down to her national record figures of 50.73secs and beyond, then there is an outside chance she could stake a claim for a place in the final. That would be a huge achievement and for it to happen Joanne will need to break her national record which stretches back to the semi-finals of the World Championships in 2007. A semi-final place in any case is well within her sights.

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Fionnuala Britton (10,000m, possibly 5,000m):

·Date of birth: 24/09/1984

·Place of birth: Kilcoole

·Club: Sli Chualann

·Olympic Appearances: Second time Olympian

·Honours and Career Bests: European Cross Country Champion 2011; 4th place in 10,000m at European Championships (2012); 12th place in 3,000m steeplchase final at World Championships (2007); 14th place at World Cross Country Championships (2007); 6th place in 3,000m steeplechase at World University Games (2009); silver medal at World University Cross Country Championships (2008).

Results at Major Championships:

Olympic Games:

· Beijing 2008 - 10th place in heat of 3,000m steeplechase, 27th place overall (9:43.57mins)

World Championships:

· Osaka 2007 - 12th place in final of 3,000m steeplechase (9:48.09mins)

· Daegu 2011 - 6th place in heat of 3,000m steeplechase, 16th place overall (9:41.17mins)

European Championships:

· Gothenburg 2006 - 11th place in heat of 3,000m steeplechase, 17th place overall (9:49.20mins)

· Barcelona 2010 - 11th place in final of 3,000m steeplechase (9:44.25mins)

· Helsinki 2012 - 4th place in final of 10,000m (32:05.54mins)

World Cross-Country Championships:

· Mombasa 2007 - 14th place

· Edinburgh 2008 - 36th place

· Punta Umbria 2011 - 16th place

Form Guide:

Coming off an extremely successful winter season which saw Fionnuala claim gold at the European Cross-Country Championships in Velenje, Slovenia, the Sli Chualann A.C. talent has been in the form of her life. Although Fionnuala had already gained the qualification standard for the 3,000m steeplechase, she and her coach decided to neglect this event and took a fresh approach to qualifying for London in both 5,000m and 10,000m events. Having achieved both those standards with little trouble, Fionnuala has placed her emphasis on the 10,000m and finished 4th at the Europeans in June. She has the 12th fastest time in the world this year over the distance.

London 2012 Prospects:

With some ultra-talented east African runners to contend with in London, Fionnuala's chances for medal success are limited. However, Fionnuala should do Ireland proud in the 10,000m and there is every possibility that she can finish in at least the top 10 in that event or perhaps even top 8. The disappointment of finishing 4th at the recent European championships after she adopted a front-running style in that race should not dispel any optimism surrounding her chances of a decent result in London. Fionnuala will benefit from a faster pace in London where she does not have to lead the field lap after gruelling lap and drawing on her cross-country strength Fionnuala will battle hard to finish in as high a place as possible.

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Linda Byrne (Marathon):

·Date of birth: 13/05/1986

·Hometown: Dundrum, Dublin

·Club: Dundrum South Dublin (D.S.D.)

·Olympic Appearances: First-time Olympian

·Honours and Career Bests: 4th in final of 3,000m steeplechase at European Junior Championships (2005); Dublin Marathon Champion (2011); 57th place World Cross-Country Championships (2008).

Results at Major Championships:

World Cross-Country Championships:

· Edinburgh 2008 - 57th place

· Amman 2009 - 65th place

· Bydgoszcz 2010 - 69th place

Form Guide:

Linda is the best form of her running career so far and if you consider that she ran an Olympic qualifying standard in her debut marathon then she has much potential to make decent progress in this event. She re-affirmed her good form recently by winning the Flora Women's Mini Marathon in Dublin and warmed up for London with victory in the Longford A.C. half-marathon (74:34mins).

London 2012 Prospects:

With more experience and a good training stint behind her Linda could be expected to better her marathon time from her debut in Dublin last autumn. She is possibly our best chance of a top 50 placing in the women's marathon.

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Ava Hutchinson (Women's Marathon):

·Date of birth: 30/03/1983

·Place of birth: Blackrock, Co.Dublin

·Training base: Loughborough, England

·Club: Dundrum South Dublin

·Olympic Appearances: First-time Olympian

·Honours and Career Bests: Irish half-marathon champion (2011); Irish cross-country champion (2011); 87th place World Cross-Country Championships (2011)

Results at Major Championships:

World Cross-Country Championships:

· Punta Umbria 2011 - 87th place

Form Guide:

Ava's marathon career is on the up and she improved her P.B. over the distance by over 7 minutes in the space of the 3 months between the Dublin marathon in 2011 and the Houston Marathon in January 2012 (where she gained the vital Olympic qualifying time).

London 2012 Prospects:

Like the other Irish marathon runners, medals are not a realistic target but there will be plenty of personal targets for Ava to try and achieve. She would probably like to come first of the three Irish girls in the race and she has said that she wants to run her best ever time for the marathon in London, this in itself would be a great feat for Ava in the pressure-filled Olympic environment.

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Catriona Jennings (Women's Marathon):

·Date of birth: 17/06/1980

·Hometown: Letterkenny, Co.Donegal

·Currently based: Dublin

·Club: Rathfarnham A.C.

·Olympic Appearances: First-time Olympian

·Honours and Career Bests: 56th place World Half-Marathon Championships (2009)

·Additional Info: Catriona is a tax advisor and is the younger sister of Sinead Jennings, former world champion in rowing.

Results at Major Championships:

World Half-Marathon Championships:

· Birmingham 2009 - 56th place (80:47mins)

Form Guide:

Personal Best/Season's Best:

· Marathon (2:36:17hrs - Rotterdam 2012)
· Half-Marathon (75:29mins - Newry 2012)

Catriona is new enough to the marathon and after debuting in the Dublin marathon last autumn, she then took almost 7 minutes off her time from that race at the Rotterdam marathon (which has a more favourable course for fast times) in April.
She also set a new P.B. over the half-marathon distance (75:29mins) upon winning the race in Newry in early June.

London 2012 Prospects:

Catriona will have similar aims to the other Irish girls in the race in London, finish as high up the field as possible and run as close to her best time as she can.

Dan man · 18-07-2012 4:56pm

Derval O'Rourke (100m Hurdles):

·Date of Birth: 28/05/1981

·Place of birth: Cork

·Height: 1.76m / 5 ft 9ins

·Club: Leevale A.C.

·Olympic Appearances: 3rd-time Olympian

·Website: http://dervalorourke.blogspot.ie/

·Honours and Career Bests: World Indoor Champion in 60m hurdles (2006); Two time European Championship Silver Medalist 2006 and 2010; European Indoor Championship Bronze Medalist in 60m hurdles (2009); 4th place in World Championships Final (2009); Irish record holder.

Results at Major Championships:

Olympic Games:

• Athens 2004 - 7th in first round heat (13.46secs)

• Beijing 2008 - 6th in first round heat (13.22secs)

World Championships:

• Paris 2003 - 8th in first round heat (13.54secs)

• Helsinki 2005 - 7th in semi-final (13.23secs)

• Osaka 2007 - 8th in semi-final (12.98secs)

• Berlin 2009 - 4th place in Final (12.67secs)

• Daegu 2011 - qualified for semis but pulled out due to injury

European Championships:

• Munich 2002 - 5th in first round heat (13.41secs)

• Gothenburg 2006 - Silver Medal (12.72secs)

• Barcelona 2010 - Silver Medal (12.65secs)

World Indoor Championships:

• Birmingham 2003 - 6th in semi-final of 60m hurdles (8.22secs)

• Moscow 2006 - Gold Medal in 60m hurdles (7.84secs)

• Istanbul 2012 - 6th in semi-final of 60m hurdles (8.13secs)

European Indoor Championships:

• Vienna 2002 - 4th in first round heat (8.22secs)

• Madrid 2005 - 6th in semi-final (8.09secs)

• Torino 2009 - Bronze Medal (7.97secs)

• Paris 2011 - 4th place in final (7.96secs)

Form Guide:

Season's best: 100m hurdles (13.09secs, Ried - June 2012)
Personal best: 100m hurdles (12.65secs, Barcelona 2010)

Season's best: 60m hurdles, indoor (8.13secs, Istanbul)
Personal best: 60m hurdles, indoor (7.84secs, Moscow 2006)

Derval has raced sparingly outdoors this season and has been hampered with injury niggles, most recently to her back and this has seen her have to pull out of a few meets this season including the Irish nationals.
Although in the few races we can assess, she is not near her best form but this is not unusual for Derval as she tends to open the season slowly and save her best for the major championships. However, a lack of race practice to help her build up for London is a worry.

London 2012 Prospects:

Derval's prospects for London should be easy to predict, well one might think....her record shows that she performs out of her skin and then some at the big competitions, as we have seen with her World Indoor gold and 2 European outdoor silvers. However, this season it isn't straight-forward (although it never is with Derval) as she has very little races to help prepare her for London. Injury scuppered Derval's campaign in the 2008 Olympic year so this was the last thing she would have wanted going into what probably will be her final Olympic Games. So that's the negatives out of the way, onto the many positives.... apart from the injury niggles, Derval has been repeatedly blogging that her training is going very well. We know that in the face of adversity that she consisitently comes out and blows us away with stunning performances. She is a rare talent in that she is one of the few in international athletics that thrive on the pressure filled championship environment, propelling her perform above her previous bests again and again. Mentally, there is no one in the world better than Derval, she gets the best out of herself each time and no doubt she will do so again. We can be pretty sure that this will again be the case in London, but how far this will take her and how her body will respond, we just simply can't be sure. Let's hope the physical side can hold together so we can see a glimpse of the Derval we have come to know and love over the years.

________________________________________________________

Stephanie Reilly (Women's 3,000m Steeplechase):

Stephanie+Reilly+13th+IAAF+World+Athletics+PAHXWMmpLyJl.jpg

Stephanie+Reilly+13th+IAAF+World+Athletics+PAHXWMmpLyJl.jpg

· Date of birth: 23/02/1978

· Native town: Wicklow Town

· Current base: Rhode Island, U.S.A.

· Club: Sli Chulainn A.C.

· Olympic Appearances: First-time Olympian

· Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Stephanie-Reilly/137511029602851

· Honours and Career Bests: 12th place in European Championship final (2012); 3 track titles at the Irish National Track Championships in 1 year - 800m, 1,500m and 3,000m(1997); 3rd fastest in the All-Time list of Irish 3,000m steeplechase rankings.

Results at Major Championships:

World Championships:

• Daegu 2011 - 8th place in qualifying heat, 21st place overall (9:55.49mins)

European Championships:

• Barcelona 2010 - 10th place in qualifying heat, 18th place overall (10:13.94mins)

• Helsinki 2012 - 12th place in final (9:53.90mins)

Form Guide:

Season's best: 9:44.15mins (Helsinki, June 2012)
Personal best: 9:42.91mins (New York, 2011)

Stephanie has been in the form of her life over the past 3 seasons and has continued in this trend at the recent European Championships in Helsinki where she qualified for the final, coming within just over a second off her P.B.
Stephanie is heading to London in practically her best shape ever.

London 2012 Prospects:

Steph will have her work cut out to make the final at the Olympics. If she runs to her P.B. then she will come close but she will likely have to improve her previous best in the region of a few seconds to make it there. The big positive is that Stephanie is going into the Olympics having performed very well at the Europeans, just missing her P.B. in qualifying by marginally over a second and finishing 12th in the final.

________________________________________________________

Deirdre Ryan (Women's High Jump):

13th+IAAF+World+Athletics+Championships+Daegu+AuPrZWNX48Jl.jpg

13th+IAAF+World+Athletics+Championships+Daegu+AuPrZWNX48Jl.jpg

Date of birth: 01/06/1982

Hometown: Ballinteer, Co.Dublin

Training base: Cologne, Germany

Club: Dundrum South Dublin (D.S.D.)

Olympic Appearances: First-time Olympian

Honours and Career Bests: 6th place in World Championship final (2011); Irish record holder; 13th place in European Championships final (2006)

Results at Major Championships:

World Championships:

• Berlin 2009 - 31st in qualifying (1.85m)

• Daegu 2011 - joint 6th in the final (1.95m)

European Championships:

• Gothenburg 2006 - 13th place in final (1.84m)

• Barcelona 2010 - joint 15th place in qualifying (1.90m)

World Indoor Championships:

• Doha 2010 - joint 17th in final (1.85m)

European Indoor Championships:

• Vienna 2002 - 22nd in qualifying (1.84m)

• Madrid 2005 - 14th in qualifying (1.83m)

• Birmingham 2007 - 17th in qualifying (1.84m)

• Torino 2009 - joint 10th in qualifying (1.85m)

Form Guide:

Season's Best: 1.90m (Bottrop, July 2012)
Personal Best: 1.95m (Daegu, 2011)

Deirdre has kept a low profile this season and opened her season quite late. After a slow start to 2012, Deirdre has slowly but incrimentally increased her season's best performance as the year progressed. Her best leap of 1.90m is fairly decent but well behind her 1.95m career best from the World Championships in 2011. Despite this there is no reason to be overly concerned about her form. She is still in line to peak at the Olympics.

London 2012 Prospects:

Having only been entered to the World Championships in Daegu last year, Deirdre performed to her maximum potential and cleared a new Irish record on her way to 6th place overall. This shows that Deirdre can produce the goods when it matters. She may be a couple of centimetres behind where she would like to be at this stage but one senses that she is coming into form at just the right time. Her season's best of 1.90m set in Bottrop in early July is a guide to how she is coming into some good form but she will likely need to add a few centimetres to this total in qualifying if she is to progress to the Olympic final. She is a potential finalist.

________________________________________________________

Tori Pena (Women's Pole Vault):

Tori+Pena+13th+IAAF+World+Athletics+Championships+g1M31MYsiuIl.jpg

Tori+Pena+13th+IAAF+World+Athletics+Championships+g1M31MYsiuIl.jpg

Date of birth: 30/07/1987

Hometown: Huntington Beach, California, U.S.A.

Club: Finn Valley A.C.

Olympic Appearances: First-time Olympian

Honours and Career Bests: Irish record holder; first person to represent Ireland in pole vault (male or female) at the Olympics.

Results at Major Championships:

World Championships:

• Daegu 2011 - 30th place in qualifying (4.10m)

European Championships:

• Barcelona 2010 - 21st place in qualifying (4.15m)

• Helsinki 2012 - 16th place in qualifying (4.35m)

European Indoor Championships:

• Paris 2011 - joint 12th place in qualifying (4.35m)

Form Guide:

Season's best: 4.52m (San Diego, April 2012)
Personal best: 4.52m (San Diego, April 2012)

Tori is in her best ever form this season having brought the Irish record up to 4.52m and with it bagged the Olympic qualifying A standard.
However, she still has issues bringing her form to the major championships as can be seen by the disappointment of only clearing 4.35m in qualifying at the Euros in June, thus missing out on a place in the final.

London 2012 Prospects:

If Tori can jump a national record in London then she has a great chance of sneaking into the Olympic final. 4.65m + is the benchmark of serious world-class vaulting so Tori still has a bit of road to travel before she gets to those heights. However, the positive being that she is young and has plenty of road ahead of her in her search of future success.

________________________________________________________

Olive Loughnane (Women's 20km Walk):

Date of birth: 14/01/1976

Place of birth: Cork, raised near Carrabane, Co.Galway

Currently based: Cork

Club: Loughrea A.C.

Height: 1.60m / 5ft 3ins

Olympic Appearances: Fourth-time Olympian

Honours and Career Bests: Silver medal World Championships (2009); 7th place Olympic final (2008); 6th place in World Cup of Race Walking (2008); 2nd on the irish All-Time List women's 20km walk rankings.

Results at Major Championships:

Olympic Games:

• Sydney 2000 - 35th place (1:38:23hrs)

• Athens 2004 - Did Not Finish Race

• Beijing 2008 - 7th place (1:27:45hrs)

World Championships:

• Edmonton 2001 - 13th place (1:35:24hrs)

• Paris 2003 - 12th place (1:30:53hrs)

• Helsinki 2005 - Disqualified

• Osaka 2007 - 17th place (1:36:00hrs)

• Berlin 2009 - Silver Medal (1:28:58hrs)

• Daegu 2011 - 16th place (1:34:02hrs)

European Championships:

• Munich 2002 - 13th place (1:33:08hrs)

• Barcelona 2010 - Did Not Finish Race

World Cup of Race Walking:

• Mezidon-Canon 1999 - 91st place (1:48:04hrs)

• Cheboksary 2008 - 6th place (1:29:17hrs)

• Saransk 2012 - 8th place (1:31:32hrs)

European Cup of Race Walking:

• Dudince 2001 - 26th place

• Cheboksary 2003 - 8th place (1:30:29hrs)

• Metz 2009 - Silver Medal

Form Guide:

After two unfruitful seasons in 2010 and 2011, Olive started 2012 in better form. She showed that she is still a force to be reckoned with at the World Cup in Saransk when finishing in 8th place and has set herself up well to put in a good performance at the London Olympics.

London 2012 Prospects:

Olive is approaching the end of a very successful career in race walking and a fourth Olympics in London is testament to her spending well over a decade at the elite end of the sport. She's certainly not done yet though and her form so far this year suggests a top 10 place or better is possible in London.

_______________________________________________________

Laura Reynolds (Women's 20km Walk):

Date of Birth: 21/01/1989

Hometown: Mohill, Co.Leitrim

Club: Mohill & District A.C.

Olympic Appearances: First-time Olympian

Honours and Career Bests: 35th place World Cup of Race Walking (2012); 15th place World Youth Championships (2005); 12th place World University Games (2011)

Twitter: https://twitter.com/laurareynolds89

Results at Major Championships:

World Cup of Race Walking:

• Chihuahua 2010 - 41st place (1:46:10hrs)

• Saransk 2012 - 35th place (1:37:06hrs)

World University Games:

• Shenzhen 2011 - 12th place (1:43:27hrs)

Form Guide:

Season's best: 1:32:34hrs (Coruna, June 2012)
Personal best: 1:32:34hrs (Coruna, June 2012)

Laura is in her best shape ever, having sliced 3 minutes off her previous best time from 2011. She attained the Olympic A-standard in her last chance saloon race in La Coruna, Spain and is heading to London full of confidence and in pursuit of valubale experience for the future.

London 2012 Prospects:

Laura's Olympic ambitions are more about gaining experience and laying down a platform for future success. She has a lot of potential and at just 23 years of age she has a bright and long future in the sport. Rio 2016 and beyond could be the making of this Leitrim talent.

________________________________________________________

Jessie Barr (Women's 4x400m relay):

Date of birth: 24/07/1989

Hometown: Co.Waterford

Club: Ferrybank A.C.

Olympic Appearances: First-time Olympian

Honours and Career Bests: 8th place in final of 400m Hurdles at European Championships (2012); Irish U-23 400m Hurdles record holder; 2nd on the Irish all-time list of fastest 400m hurdles times.

Twitter Account: https://twitter.com/JessieBarr247

Results at Major Championships:

European Championships:

• Helsinki 2012 - 8th place in final of 400m hurdles (56.83secs).

Form Guide:

Jessie's superb preformance at the Euros in June, where she qualified for the 400m hurdles final suggests a) that she is in the best form of her young career in senior athletics and b) she is a good championship performer as she set a new P.B. on her way to making the final. She will not be running the over the hurdles in London but instead she is part of the 4x400m relay squad. Her form over the flat distance is also encouraging as she set a new P.B. of 53.70secs in Belgium this June. This moved her to 15th on the Irish all-time list over the distance.

London 2012 Prospects:

Jessie has put herself in a position that if the selectors need to use her services for the 4x400m relay team, then based on her form this season, she will perform to her absolute best and that is all you can ask for. She is still a youngster and should develop into a more than decent athlete over the 400m hurdles within the next few seasons.

___________________________________________________

Marian Heffernan (Women's 4x400m relay):

Marian+Heffernan+AiUeHF96HBvm.jpg

Date of birth: 16/04/1982

Hometown: Co.Cork

Club: Togher A.C.

Olympic Appearances: First-time Olympian

Honours and Career Bests: 4th in semi-final of European Indoor Championships (2009); part of the Irish-record breaking 4x400m relay team from the World Championships (2011); 5th on the Irish all-time list over the distance.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/RM_Heffernan

Website: http://www.robandmarianheffernan.com/

Results at Major Championships:

European Indoor Championships:

• Torino 2009 - 4th in semi-final (53.92secs)

• Paris 2011 - 5th in heat (54.94secs)

Form Guide:

Season's best: 53.19secs (Nivelles, June 2012)
Personal best: 53.10secs (Dublin, 2010)

Marian is at her best this season having come within a fraction of her best ever time over the 400m at a race meet in Belgium in June. She is a sure bet to be one of the four runners selected to run a leg of the relay come London.

_______________________________________________________

Michelle Carey (Women's 4x400m relay):

Date of birth: 20/02/1981

Hometown: Dublin

Currently based: Chesterfield, England

Club: Dublin Striders

Height: 5ft / 6ins

Olympic Appearances: Second-time Olympian

Honours and Career Bests: 3rd on the Irish all-time list of fastest 400m performers; 3rd on Irish all-time list of fastest 400m hurdles performers.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MichelleC400

Website: http://www.glutenfreeathlete.net/

Results at Major Championships:

Olympic Games:

• Beijing 2008 - 7th in first round heat 400m hurdles (57.99secs)

World Championships:

• Osaka 2007 - 8th in first round heat 400m hurdles (57.10secs)

• Berlin 2009 - 5th in first round heat 400m hurdles (56.91secs)

European Championships:

• Gothenburg 2006 - 5th in first round heat 400m hurdles (57.61secs)

• Barcelona 2010 - 5th in first round of 400m hurdles (57.58secs)

Form Guide:

Season's best: 53.31secs, 400m (Bedford, June 2012)
Personal best: 52.67secs, 400m (Dublin 2006)

____________________________________________________

Claire Bergin (Women's 4x400m relay):

Date of birth: 01/02/1985

Hometown: Dublin

Club: Dundrum South Dublin (D.S.D.)

Twitter: https://twitter.com/berginclaire

Olympic Appearances: Second-time Olympian, first time at a Summer Olympics

Honours and Career Bests: Claire has made history by becoming the first woman to represent Ireland in both Winter and Summer Olympics having competed in bobsleigh at the Vancouver 2010 Winter Games alongside Aoife Hoey. The only other Irish person to achieve this feat was Terry McHugh;
Claire was also a member of the Irish record breaking women’s 4x400m relay team from the Worlds in 2011.

Form Guide:

Season's best: 53.66secs (Loughborough, May 2012)
Personal best: 53.66secs (Loughborough, May 2012)

Claire since making the transition to 400m running a couple of seasons ago has lowered her P.B. significantly and 2012 has seen her at her fastest ever over the one-lap race.

________________________________________________

Catriona Cuddihy (Women's 4x400m relay):

Date of Birth: 05/12/1986

Hometown: Kilkenny

Club: Kilkenny City Harriers

Olympic Appearances: First-time Olympian

Form Guide:

Season's best: 54.59secs (Amsterdam, July 2012)
Personal best: 54.59secs (Amsterdam, July 2012)

Dan man · 18-07-2012 4:56pm

SWIMMING: 4 Team Members....

Barry Murphy (Men's 100m Breastroke):

• Date of Birth: 05/10/1985

• Hometown: Dublin

• Training Base: Ann Arbor, Michigan, U.S.A.

• Club: Aer Lingus

• Height: 1.88m / 6 ft 2ins

• Olympic Appearances: First-time Olympian

• Honours and Career Bests: Irish Long-Course record holder 50m freestyle, 50m breaststroke, 100m breaststroke; world ranked 8th in 100m breaststroke (2011); 8th place in final of 50m breaststroke in European Long Course Championships (2010).

• Twitter: https://twitter.com/barry_j_murphy/

London 2012 Prospects:

If Barry can peak in London and swim in the region of his P.B. over 100m breaststroke then he has a great chance of advancing to the semi-finals. He will likely need a new P.B. if he is to make the final.

________________________________________________

Grainne Murphy (Women's 800m Freestyle):

G.Murphy_400m_fs_bronze_437905659.jpg

• Date of birth: 26/03/1993

• Hometown: Ballinaboola, New Ross, Co.Wexford

• Training base: Limerick

• Olympic Appearances: First-time Olympian

• Honours and Career Bests: Silver medal in 1,500m freestyle at European Long Course Championships (2010); 4th place in 800m at European Long Course Championships (2010); Bronze Medal in 400m freestyle at European Short Course Championships (2010); Bronzde Medal in 800m freestyle at European Short Course Championships (2010); won three Golds and a bronze at the European Junior Championships (2009); won Irish Times Sports Woman of the Year Award (2010); Irish record holder over 800m freestyle, 1,500m freestyle, 200m Individual Medley.

Form Guide:

Season’s best: 800m freestyle: 8:29.55mins (Denmark, March 2012)
Personal best: 800m freestyle: 8:25.04mins (Hungary, 2010)

Grainne's form since her stellar 2010 season has been a little worrying. She hasn't since been able to match let alone surpass her times from that terrific season that brought her a heap of awards and 3 European Senior medals. It has also been reported that her Olympic preparations were derailed earlier in the spring due to a virus. However, she has since recovered but you get the sense that London has come just a little too soon for Grainne.

London 2012 Prospects:

Grainne has an outside chance of making the women's 800m freestyle final but only if she can get back to her best form in London. I think Rio 2016 could be the time when Grainne really pushes for global stardom.

_______________________________________________________

Melanie Nocher (200m Backstroke):

• Date of birth: 18/06/1988

• Hometown: Holywood, Co.Down

• Training base: Loughborough University

• Club: Ards S.C. / Loughborough University

• Height: 5 ft 10 ins

• Olympic Appearances: Second-time Olympian

• Honours and Career Bests: 5th place in final of European Long Course Championships (2012); Irish record holder in 200m backstroke

• Twitter: https://twitter.com/melanienocher

• Website: http://melanienocher.com/

Form Guide:

Season's best: 2:10.75mins (Hungary, May 2012)
Personal best: 2:10.75mins (Hungary, May 2012)

Melanie is in the form of her life this season having set a new Irish record at 200m backstroke on her way to securing the Olympic qualifyinmg standard and finishing 5th in the European final.

London 2012 Prospects:

If Mel can repeat her Irish record breaking form from the Europeans a couple of months ago then she could be in with a shout of making the semi-finals in the 200m backstroke in London. Anything beyond that would be a major bonus.

____________________________________________________

Sycerika McMahon (Women's 100m Breaststroke):

Date of birth: 11/04/1995

Hometown: Portaferry, Co. Down

Club: Leander S.C.

Olympic Appearances: First-time Olympian

Honours and Career Bests: Silver medal in 50m breaststroke at European Long Course Championships (2012); 5th place in final of 100m breaststroke at European Long Course Championships (2012); WON 2 Golds and a silver at European Junior Championships (2011); Irish record holder at 50m breastroke, 100m breaststroke

Twitter: https://twitter.com/sycerika

Form Guide:

This young star in the making has had another amazing year and at just 17 she has claimed a European senior championship medal over 50m breaststroke and claimed 5th in the 100m breaststoke too.

London 2012 Prospects:

Despite her tender years, Sycerika has a great chance of progressing to the Olympic semi-finals over 100m breastroke and at 17 that would be an outstanding achoevement. She is on course to be a superstar of Irish sport by Rio 2016 and she should be a shining bright prospect for medals success by then.

___________________________________________________________

ROWING....1 team member:

Sanita Puspure (Women's Single Sculls):

Date of birth: 21/12/1981

Place of birth: Riga, Latvia

Currently based: National Rowing Centre, Inniscarra, Co.Cork

Height: 1.79m / 5 ft 10 ins

Club: Old Collegians Boat Club, U.C.D.

Olympic Appearances: First-time Olympian

Honours: 5th place in final of World Cup Event in Belgrade (2012); 4th place at Olympic Qualifying Event (2012); 12th place overall at World Championships (2011); Bronze Medal at U-23 World Championships (2003).

Form Guide:

Sanita has had a good 2012 season, qualifying for the Olympics at the final Qualification Regatta, finishing 4th in that event and taking respectable 5th and 6th place overall finishes at World Cup events in Belgrade and Munich respectively.

London 2012 Prospects:

A podium finish is likely beyond Sanita but she has every chance of making it to the final and a top 10 placing overall would be a great achievement for the Latvian-born Irish rower.

_____________________________________________________________

TRIATHLON....2 team members:

Gavin Noble (Men's Race):

Date of birth: 09/04/1981

Hometown: Enniskillen, Co.Fermanagh

Height: 1.86m / 6 ft 1 in

Olympic Appearances: First-time Olympian

Honours: 11th place in World Championships Series Event in Yokohama (2009); Gold medal in ITU Asian Cup Event in Hong Kong (2010); World ranked 44th.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/gavontwitt/

Website: http://gavinnoble.com/

Form Guide:

Gavin is in good shape heading to London even if his 41st place at the World Series Event in Hamburg last weekend suggests otherwise. He is a consistent top 20-30 finisher in World Cup events and on his day he can push for a higher placing.

London 2012 Prospects:

Avoiding any mishaps, Gavin will be battling hard for a top 20 placing in London. Getting into a lead pack on bike will be essential to where he finishes the competition and if everything clicks for him on the day then he can aim for top 20.

_____________________________________________________________

Aileen Morrison (Women's Race):

Aileen%20silver%20Ishigaki%20-%20credit%20Jun%20Sato%20ITU.jpg

Aileen%20silver%20Ishigaki%20-%20credit%20Jun%20Sato%20ITU.jpg

Date of birth: 15/06/1982

Hometown: Derry

Currently based: Lisburn

Height: 1.72m / 5 ft 8 ins

Olympic Appearances: First-time Olympian

Honours: Silver Medal at World Championships Series Event in Madrid (2012); Bronze Medal at World Championships Series Event in Hamburg (2011); 4th place at World Championships Series Event in Yokohama (2011); 4 Silver Medals at World Cup events in Ishigaki (twice), Quarteira, Tongyoeong (2011-2012); Gold Medals at European and Asian Cup Races in Antalya and Hong Kong (2010, 2011); World Ranked 7th.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/aileenmorr/

Website: http://www.aileenmorrison.com/

Form Guide:

Aileen's form in 2012 has been very impressive, the highlight being her career-best silver medal at the World Championships Series Event in Madrid at the end of May.
Her final race before the Olympics wasn't her finest (36th place at World Series Race in Hamburg) but her fitness and health remain excellent and that race can be explained away by a series of unfortunate errors that conspired against her challenging for a high position. She has greatly improved her cycling abilities over the last 12 months and she is often in the lead group after the swim and transition 1.
Her running is strong as always.

London 2012 Prospects:

Aileen has an outside chance of making the medals in London but the opposition will be extremely tough. A top 10 finish would be amazing and would be well within her capacity. If everything clicks (swim, bike and run as well as the all important T1 and T2 transitions) then who knows how well she could do. A must watch event for Irish Olympic fans!

Dan man · 19-07-2012 8:54pm

More to follow here soon.....

Dan man · 20-07-2012 3:01pm

EQUESTRIAN....8 Team Members

Billy Twomey / Tinka's Serenade (Individual Showjumping):

Date of Birth: 14/04/1977

Place of birth: Cork

Current base: Nantwich, England

Height: 1.80m / 5ft 11 ins

Olympic Appearances: First-time Olympian

Honours on-board Tinka: Victory in the Rolex Top-10 final in Paris (December, 2011); Zurich Grand Prix win (2011 - World Cup Qualifier); Basel Grand Prix win (2011); 2nd place in Leipzig Grand Prix (2012 - World Cup Qualifier); 2nd place Doha Grand Prix-(2012 - CSI 5 Star); 11th place at World Equestrian Games (2010).

Website:http://www.billytwomey.com

Form Guide:

Billy shot up the world rankings in 2011 to an all-time high of 3rd best ranked showjumping rider in the world, largely thanks to some superb Grand Prix circuit wins on board Sue Davies' 15-year-old mare Tinka's Serenade. His efforts also qualified Ireland one of the three Olympic quota places available for European riders without a showjumping team in London.
Although 2012 has not seen Twomey and Tinka pick up as many Grand Prix victories, they have been performing superbly again this season and have put in many clear rounds, including a treble clear round at the 5-star Aachen Grand Prix (always regarded as being one of the toughest courses on the circuit) and have been placing highly all year.

London 2012 Prospects:

It almost impossible to pick out who will medal in individual showjumping as it is a very unpredictable sport. Looking at Billy's record with Tinka over the last year or two you would have to give them a chance of making the podium. They have been an impressive combination and are more than capable of going clear in the most difficult of courses. However, there are probably well over a dozen combinations who you would give a chance of medalling on their day so it will be difficult for Billy to come out on top.
The promising thing though is that he is within medal range and should be one to look out for in London.

________________________________________________

CianO'Connor / Blue Loyd (Individual Showjumping):

1-Cian-OConnor-and-Blue-Loyd-photo-by-Sportfot-courtesy-of-Cian-OConnor.jpg

1-Cian-OConnor-and-Blue-Loyd-photo-by-Sportfot-courtesy-of-Cian-OConnor.jpg

Date of Birth: 12/07/1979

Hometown: Ratoath, Dublin

Height: 1.75m / 5ft 9ins

Olympic Appearances: Second-time Olympian

Honours on-board Blue Loyd: Double clear round at Aachen Nations Cup (2012); Double clear round at the Wellington Nations Cup in Florida (2012)

Twitter:https://twitter.com/cian_o_connor

Website:http://www.cianoconnor.com/

Form Guide:

The form book is looking very encouraging for this combination. At the recent Nations Cup event in Aachen, regarded as one of the most difficult competitions in the season, O'Connor and Blue Loyd were one of just 4 combinations to jump a double-clear round.

London 2012 Prospects:

Cian and Blue Loyd are hitting top form with the London Olympics approaching fast and it seems they relish the more difficult courses. He has an outside chance of making the podium but as already stated, showjumping is a highly unpredictable sport and there are plenty of others who will be on show to spoil the Irish party.

_______________________________________________

Anna Merveldt / Coryolano (Individual Dressage):

Date of birth: 20/09/1962

Place of birth: Canada, moved to Ireland when she was 6 months old

Hometown: Naas, Co.Kildare

Current base: Milan, Italy

Height: 1.65m / 5ft 5ins

Olympic Appearances: Second-time Olympian (competed in Barcelona 1992)

Honours on-board Coryolano: 25th place European Championships (2009); Irish record of 75.25% at 3-star event in Vienna (2011).

Form Guide:

2011 was a successful season for Anna and her 16-year-old gelding Coryloano with the combination setting a new Irish record. Her campaign was derailed in December due to an injury sustained in a car accident. However, she has picked up where she has left off and is now putting in some good performances and claimed 6th place at a 4-star event in Austria at the beginning of June. But even more impressively, the combination posted a creditable score of 72.575% at a 5-star event in Aachen, Germany to finish in 11th-place in the highly competitive field. To put it in context though, medals will be won with scores well in excess of 80% but what that result shows is that Anna and Coryolano can hope to progress to the final of the Olympic competition as one of the 18 best combinations in that event.

__________________________________________________

Aoife Clark / Master Crusoe (Eventing Individual/Team):

Date of birth: 06/08/1981

Hometown: Naas, Co.Kildare

Current base: Middle Barton, Oxfordshire, England

Olympic Appearances: First-time Olympian

Twitter:https://twitter.com/aoifeclark

Website:http://www.aoifeclarkeventing.co.uk

Form Guide:

This combination performed well at the Badminton Horse Trials earlier in the year, particularly impressing in the dressage element, only picking up 42.2 penalties. This is a dressage score that can compete with the very best in eventing but they experienced big problems on the cross-country phase, picking up 20 penalties out on the course and adding more than 20 more penalty points for time. They went clear in showjumping.
This is a pattern that is consistent with this combination and whilst the dressage scores are really encouraging, the cross-country penalties are a bit of a worry.

London 2012 Prospects:

If Aoife can steer Master Crusoe through the cross-country phase without any diffulties out on the course and minimise time penalties then this combination has every chance of battling for a very high placing individually.

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Mark Kyle / Coolio (Eventing Individual/Team):

Date of birth: 05/06/1973

Hometown: Dublin

Currently based: Leicestershire, England

Height: 1.80m / 5ft 11 ins

Olympic Appearances: Second-time Olympian (competed in Athens 2004)

Honours on-board Coolio: 21st place individually at European Championships (2011)

Form Guide:

Mark and Coolio finished 4th at Tattersalls earlier this summer and followed up with a 31st place finish at the competitive Barbury Horse Trials at the end of June. The dressage is this combinations weakpoint but their penalty scores have been reducing in that area of late.

London 2012 Prospects:

Although Mark is traditionally very strong in the showjumping phase and in cross-country too, he is generally out of the running for silverware by that stage courtesy of picking up too many penalties in the dressage element on day 1. His scores have been improving in this phase and whilst still not at a stage to be competitive at the medal end of the individual event, he will be a valuable member for the Irish team as he should help the team finish strongly.

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Joseph Murphy / Electric Cruise (Eventing Individual/Team):

81930.180568.file.eng.Joseph-Murphy-and-Electric-Cruise-at-Belton-Horse-Trials-2012.350.310.jpg

81930.180568.file.eng.Joseph-Murphy-and-Electric-Cruise-at-Belton-Horse-Trials-2012.350.310.jpg

Date of birth: 06/08/1976

Hometown: Mullingar

Current base: Killyleagh, Co.Down

Olympic Appearances: First-time Olympian

Honours on-board Electric Cruise: 18th place individually at European Championships (2011); 27th place Badminton Horse Trials (2011

Additional Info: He has an identical twin brother

Twitter:https://twitter.com/jmurphyeventing

Website:http://josephmurphyeventing.com/

Form Guide:

This combination finished in 46th place recently at the competitive 3-star Barbury Horse Trials in June.

London 2012 Prospects:

Joseph is strong in both cross-country and showjumping elements but is a little weaker in the dressage phase. In the European Championships in 2011, this combination picked up 57.7 penalties in the dressage phase but added only 3.2 time penalties to this score from cross-country and went clear in showjumping to rise up the rankings to a final placing of 18th. If je can post a score of low 50s in dressage in London then he will likely be a very valauble member of the Irish team and will puh for a strong placing individually.

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Camilla Speirs / Portersize Just A Jiff (Eventing Individual/Team):

camilla%20speirs%20nico%20morgan.jpg

Date of birth: 23/08/1989

Hometown: Dublin

Currently Based: Athy, Co.Kildare

Height: 1.63m / 5ft 4ins

Olympic Appearances: First-time Olympian

Honours on-board Portersize Jiff: First place at Tattersalls 3-star event (2012); 25th place individually European Championships (2011); 14th place Badminton Horse Trials (2010)

Twitter:https://twitter.com/CamillaSpeirs

Form Guide:

Camilla has been performing well on Portersize Just A Jiff over the season and this is potentially Ireland's strongest combination heading to the London Olympics.

London 2012 Prospects:

This combination has good potential for a high placing in London. Their dressage scores are consistently in the 40s which is competitive with the best in the world and it is usually the penalties accumulated in cross-country and showjumping that push them down the final rankings. Nevertheless, there is optimism that they can cut out those mistakes, particularly at cross-country and if so then a top 10 finish is not out of the question.

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Michael Ryan / Ballylynch Adventure (Eventing Individual/Team):

Michael-Ryan-IRL-riding-Ballylynch-Adventure-3rd-overall.jpg

Michael-Ryan-IRL-riding-Ballylynch-Adventure-3rd-overall.jpg

Date of Birth: 03/04/1975

Hometown: Dola, Co. Limerick

Currently based: Bandon, Co.Cork

Height: 1.78m / 5ft 10ins

Olympic Appearances: First-time Olympian

Website:http://www.doneganryaneventing.com/

Form Guide:

Ryan finished 37th on-board Ballylynch at the Barbury Horse Trials at the end of June and in 9th place at Tattersalls just a few weeks prior.

London 2012 Prospects:

This combination are solid performers in both cross-country and showjumping, but with penalties usually in the high 50s in dressage, their chances of success are scuppered after the opening phase. However, they should be strong members for the Irish in the team competition.

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SAILING....8 Team Members

Annalise Murphy (Women's Laser Radial):

Date of birth: 02/01/1990

Hometown: Rathfarnham, Co.Dublin

Olympic Appearances: First-time Olympian

Honours: Bronze Medal at Sail for Gold Regatta (2012); 6th place at World Sailing Championships (2011)

Twitter: https://twitter.com/annalise_murphy

Website: http://www.annalisemurphy.com/Annalise/www.annalisemurphy.com.html

Form Guide:

Annalise's form heading into London is extremely encouraging. She has proven herself to be very comfortable sailing at the Olympic venue in Weymouth and took home a bronze medal from the Sail for Gold regatta held there earlier and against all of her Olympic rivals too. She actually won the medal race and catapulted herself onto the podium as a result and won more races than any other sailor in her class.

London 2012 Prospects:

Annalise is one of the most talented sailors in the world and she will go to London with a distinct possibility of taking home a medal. She has the potential to dominate her fleet especially when wind-speeds pick up above 15 knots. Her main issue however is consisitency. Despite winning so many races at the big competitions, she almost always has at least 2 really bad races and as she can only discard one score, this often derails her medal aspirations. Even the best in the world have bad races, but the key is not to have any disasters in terms of really bad races.
At the World Championships in Perth last December, Annalise was In bronze medal position for a large part of the final race, only to slip back and eventually finish the regatta in 6th place. With the Olympic regatta in Weymouth, where Annalise is one of the most accomplished if not the best, chances for success are sky-high and she is a potential Irish medallist.

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Peter O'Leary & David Burrows (Men's Star)

Burrows (left), O'Leary (right):

Peter O'Leary (Star – Helm):

Date of Birth: 29/03/1983

Hometown: Crosshaven, Co.Cork

Currently living: Dublin

Club: Baltimore Sailing Club, Cork

Height: 1.88m / 6ft 2ins

Nickname: Gunns

Olympic Appearances: Second-time Olympian

Honours: Gold medal in Race for Gold regatta (2011 and 2012); Silver medal at Bacardi Cup (2012); 4th place at Star World Championships (2012)

Twitter: https://twitter.com/olearyburrows

Website: http://www.teamolearyburrows2012.com/

David Burrows (Star – Crew):

Date of Birth: 11/05/1977

Hometown: Malahide, Co.Dublin

Currently living: Clontarf

Club: Malahide & Howth Yacht Club

Nickname: The Widowmaker

Height: 1.93m / 6ft 4ins

Olympic Appearances: Fourth-time Olympian

Honours: Gold medal in Race for Gold regatta (2012); Silver medal at Bacardi Cup (2012); 4th place at Star World Championships (2012)

Twitter: https://twitter.com/olearyburrows

Website: http://www.teamolearyburrows2012.com/

Form Guide:

This duo are well on course to pick up an Olympic medal in Weymouth. The form guide is hugely encouraging....they came 4th at the Star worlds earlier this summer having been in bronze medal position right up until the end when they were pipped by the Danish team in the medal race. They bounced back strongly and won gold at the Sail for Gold regatta just weeks later, against virtually all of their rivals and at the Olympic venue.

London 2012 Prospects:

O'Leary and Burrows are in the reckoning for a medal in London and their gold medal in Weymouth (O'Leary has won gold in that event on the last 2 occasions) shows that not only are they comfortable at the Olympic venue, but they are potential world beaters. One of Ireland's best chances of medal success.

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James Espey (Men's Laser):

Date of birth: 23/01/1984

Hometown: Bangor, Co.Down

Club: Ballyholme Yacht Club

Nickname: Bapsy

Olympic Appearances: First-time Olympian

Honours: Made the gold fleet, finishing 37th place overall at Laser World Championships (2012)

Twitter: https://twitter.com/James_EspeyIRL

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/James-Espey-Sailing/192020347532367

Form Guide:

James is improving with every international meet and is gaining vital experience for future events in the process. At the Laser World Championships which took place in Boltenhagen, Germany a couple of months ago, Espey made gold fleet, finished 37th overall and done enough to secure Olympic qualification.

London 2012 Prospects:

James is going to London, not with a realistic ambition of medalling, but with the aim of picking up valuable experience for the future. He has improved his ranking over the last year with each competition and has had some decent race results in international competitions. Hopefully London can be a stepping stone for future success for James.

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Ger Owens & Scott Flanigan (Men's 470):

Owens (left), Flanigan (right):

Ger Owens (470 - Helm)

Date of birth: 13/07/1977

Hometown: Dun Laoghaire

Club: Royal St.George Yacht Club

Nickname: Gerbil

Olympic Appearances: Third-time Olympian

Honours: won 2 races at the Olympics in Beijing (2008); 24th place at 470 World Championships (2012); Gold Medal Delta Lloyd Regatta (2012)

Twitter: https://twitter.com/470Ireland

Website: http://www.470ireland.com/

Scott Flanigan (470 - Crew)

Date of birth: 22/12/1992

Hometown: Malahide, Co.Dublin

Club: Malahide Yacht Club

Olympic Appearances: First-time Olympian

Honours: 24th place at 470 World Championships (2012); Gold Medal Delta Lloyd Regatta (2012); represented Ireland at the Youth Olympics (2010)

Twitter: https://twitter.com/470Ireland

Website: http://www.470ireland.com/

Form Guide:

This duo are performing well together and are improving all the time. They finished 24th at the Laser Worlds in Boltenhagen just a couple of months ago and at the Skandia Sail for Gold regatta at Weymouth they missed out on the gold fleet by one place, but came first in the silver fleet.

London 2012 Prospects:

There is potential for a top 10 finish if they can hit top form and maintain it. There is much room for improvement in the future and they could become strong contenders in this fleet in the years to come.

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Ryan Seaton & Matt McGovern (Men's 49er):

Seaton (left), McGovern (right):

Ryan Seaton: (49er - helm)

Date of birth: 03/12/1987

Hometown: Carrickfergus, Co. Antrim

Club: Carrickfergus Sailing Club & Ballyholme Yacht Club

Olympic Appearances: First-time Olympian

Honours: 7th place at Sail for Gold Regatta (2012); 10th place at 49er World Championships (2012)

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Irish49er

Website: http://www.irish49er.com/

Matt McGovern (49er - crew)

Date of birth: 20/09/1984

Hometown: Bangor, Co.Down

Club: Ballyholme Yacht Club

Olympic Appearances: First-time Olympian

Honours: 7th place at Sail for Gold Regatta (2012); 10th place at 49er World Championships (2012)

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Irish49er

Website: http://www.irish49er.com/

Form Guide:

The performance trend for this duo is on the up and up, and have shown superb form in 2 major regattas of late....the World Championships in Perth where they made the medal race and finished 10th overall and the Sail for Gold Regatta, held at the Olympic venue where they finished 7th.

London 2012 Prospects:

Seaton and McGovern are not medal favourites but they are outside contenders. They have themselves stated that they believe a medal is within their reach and it's hard to argue with them when you consider that they finished in 7th place at the Sail for Gold Regatta at the Olympic venue and against all of their rivals. They also secured 3 race victories in that event, more than any other crew in their fleet and if things go well in London then you can't discount their chances of sneaking a medal.

Dan man · 22-07-2012 6:44pm

Artistic Gymnastics....1 team member

Kieran Behan (Men's Floor Exercise):

Date of birth: 19/04/1989

Place of birth: London

Height: 1.60m / 5 ft 3 ins

Olympic Appearances: First-time Olympian

Honours: World Cup Series Champion on Floor (2011); 4th place on Floor at Olympic Test Event (2012); 7th place on Floor at European Championships (2012)

Twitter: https://twitter.com/kieranbehanirl

Form Guide:

Kieran has developed into a world class performer on floor and his performances over the last 18 months have been very encouraging. He has been working on a more difficult routine in order to up his scoring potential in London. This moved seems to be paying off and he secured a place in the European Championships final in Montpellier in May, posting the 3rd best score in qualification (15.265 - a very competitive score) and claimed 7th in the final.

London 2012 Prospects:

Kieran's floor routine is of a competitive standard internationally and he has a chance of making the Olympic final on that apparatus. Quite remarkable when you think that he has overcome all of the odds just to compete at the Olympics. He was wheelchair bound for three years of his life, on 2 separate occasions and twice he was given little hope of ever walking again never mind continuing his sporting career. Receiving no funding, Kieran would carry out cleaning duties at his gym so as to ensure he made ends meet to enable him to continue his training and keep alive his hopes of making an Olympic Games.
Kieran's story is not only an Irish success story, but it has become an international favourite too with media from all over the globe wanting to share the remarkable story....whatever happens in London, Kieran is already a hero to so many people and an inspiration to all.

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Modern Pentathlon....2 team members

Natalya Coyle (Women's Event):

Date of birth: 11/12/1990

Hometown: Tara, Co. Meath

Height: 1.65m / 5 ft 5 ins

Olympic Appearances: First-time Olympian

Honours: 10th place at World Cup Event in Rostov (2012); 21st place World Championships (2012); 20th place at World Cup Series Final (2011).

Twitter: https://twitter.com/natalyacoyle

Form Guide:

Natalya has burst onto the international scene over the last 2 years, consistently qualifying for World Cup finals and made the World Cup Series Final in both 2011 and 2012. She also made the final of the World Championships in each of the last 2 seasons, finishing 32nd in 2011 and claimed a creditable 21st place at the World Championships in Chengdu, China in May.

London 2012 Prospects:

Natalya will acquit herself really well at the Olympics and a top 20 placing would be a superb result and certainly within her reach. You get the sense that London is primarily about experience for the young pentathlete and if she continues her current rate of progress, by Rio 2016 she will be a force to reckon be reckoned with. Natalya is improving all the time, particularly in fencing where she is now a respected opponent, although there is still much room for improvement in that discipline. She has a strong background in horse-riding and is also shoots very well in the combined shoot and run event when in top form.
Keep an eye out for her progress over the next couple of seasons, she is an exciting talent.

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ArthurLanigan-O'Keeffe (Men's Modern Pentathlon):

Date of birth: 13/09/1991

Hometown: Kilkenny

Olympic Appearances: First-time Olympian

Honours: 24th place World Cup Series Final (2012); 20th place at World Cup Event, Rio de Janeiro (2012); 20th place at European Championships (2011); 14th place at European Junior Championships (2011)

Twitter:https://twitter.com/ArthurLOK1

Form Guide:

This youngster has quickly settled into the senior international scene and qualified not only for 3 out of 4 World Cup finals in 2012 but also gained enough points to be invited to compete at the World Cup Series Final in China, where he placed a creditable 24th.

London 2012 Prospects:

Arthur received a surprise late call up to the Olympic competition after a Polish pentathlete was withdrawn for a drugs offence. This obviously was not ideal in terms of preparation for Arthur but he was in training for the World Junior Championships in September anyway and London will mainly be about experience for him. He deserves his place at the Olympics after a super 2012 season and in fact he was well inside the top 10 after the first 2 disciplines at the World Cup Final in Chengdu before a disaster in the horse riding element scuppered his chances of Olympic qualification.
Arthur is a superb swimmer and is one of the best performers in the pentathlon in this event. He is also very strong in the comined run and shoot event and if he can continue to improve his fencing skills then he has an extremely bright future in the sport. He is one of the leading juniors and is a name to look out for in the future.

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Badminton....2 team members

Scott Evans (Men's Singles):

Date of birth: 26/09/1987

Hometown: Dublin

Currently based: Copenhagen, Denmark

Height: 1.82m / 6 ft 0 in

Club: Gentofte BK, Copenhagen

Olympic Appearances: Second-time Olympian

Honours: Quarter-finalist at European Championships (2010); Runner-up Lithuanian Open (2011); Runner-up Czech Open (2010); Runner-up Dutch Open (2010); Runner-up Romanian Open (2010); Irish national champion for each of the last 8 years (2005-2012); First male badminton player to represent Ireland at the Olympics.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Scott_Evans1

Website: http://www.scottevansireland.com/

Form Guide:

Scott's form has waned since his great season of 2010 which saw him reach the European Championships quarter-finals and a career high of 39th in the world rankings. He is currently ranked 76th in the world rankings.

London 2012 Prospects:

Scott will be hoping for his first victory at the Olympics, having come so close to winnig his first round match in Beijing 2008. His prospects of progress are limited but there is still time for Scott, at just 25 years of age, to rediscover some form and push his badminton career to a new level by Rio 2016.

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Chloe Magee (Women's Singles):

Date of birth: 29/11/1988

Hometown: Raphoe, Co.Donegal

Currently based: Copenhagen, Denmark

Height: 1.65m / 5 ft 5 ins

Club: Gentofte BK, Copenhagen

Olympic Appearances: Second-time Olympian
Honours: Ranking high - 42nd in world rankings (April 2012); Runner-up in White Nights Event, Russia (2012); Runner-up in Norwegian International (2011); Second round of Olympic tournament (2008).

Twitter: https://twitter.com/chloenmagee

Form Guide:

Chloe has been at the top of her game in 2012, rising to a career high of 42nd in the world rankings in April and currently occupies 44th place in the list. She now trains full-time in Copenhagen and competes for Gentofte Badminton Club in the competitive Danish circuit. She reached the final of the White Nights badminton tournament in Russia in July, losing out to her Polish opponent in a tight final set encounter.

London 2012 Prospects:

Chloe battles hard in every match and following on from her terrific victory in the first round in Beijing 4 years ago, there is hope she can repeat the feat and claim one or even two wins in London also. We probably are yet to see the best of Chloe and at just 23 she still has plenty of time on her side to develop her badminton skills further.

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Judo....1 team member

Lisa Kearney (Women's -48kg):

Date of birth: 27/03/1989

Hometown: Belfast

Currently based: Edinburgh, Scotland

Club: Yamakwai, Belfast

Olympic Appearances: First-time Olympian

Honours: Gold medal at World Cup Event in Apia, Samoa (2010); Silver medal at World Cup Event in Tallinn, Estonia (2012); Silver medal at World Cup Event in Apia, Samoa (2011); Bronze medal at World Cup Event in Almaty, Kazakhstan (2011); Participated at the IJF World Masters Event (2012); First woman to represent Ireland in judo at the Olympics; World Ranked no.19.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/kearney_judo

Form Guide:

There was some worry some months ago when Lisa sustained a ligament tear to her knee that Lisa would be out of action for a period and would not be able to compete for Olympic qualification points. Thankfully, the injury was not as bad as first thought and Lisa got her qualifying campaign back on track and secured her Olympic berth via the Olympic rankings points system. Ranked at no.19 in the world, Lisa is performing well on the international circuit and competes regularly in a combination of World Cup, Grand Prix and Grand Slam Events. She won a silver at the World Cup event in Tallinn in June to underline that she is in decent form but the opposition wasn't of the highest calibre. Lisa received a boost this summer by being invited to take part in the World Masters Tournament in Kazakhstan, an exclusive event for the world's elite top 16 in each class. Although she didn't progress far in that event, she will have gained vital experience for London 2012 and beyond.

London 2012 Prospects:

London 2012 will unlikely to be Lisa's time to shine but she has done superbly well just to make the Games and she has a chance of winning a bout or two. She is a little bit off the level of the girls at the very top but she is consistently ranked high in the rankings (currently world no.19) and with more and more experience under the belt then she can develop into a top-quality judoka....time is certainly on her side at just 23 years of age.

Dan man · 25-07-2012 12:35am

Boxing.... 6 team members

Paddy Barnes (Men's Light-Flyweight):

Date of birth: 09/04/1987

Hometown: Belfast

Club: Holy Family A.B.C.

Height: 1.62m / 5 ft 4 ins

Olympic Appearances: Second-time Olympian

Honours: Olympic Bronze Medalist (2008); European Champion (2010); Commonwealth Games Gold Medalist (2010); Chemistry Cup Bronze Medalist (2012)

Twitter:https://twitter.com/paddyb_ireland

Form Guide:

The form guide doesn't make for great reading for Barnes. He failed to secure Olympic qualification at the first attempt when exiting the early rounds of the 2011 World Championships in Baku but he gained redemption by sneaking into the qualifying places at the European Olympic Qualification Tournament in Trabzon in the spring.
2010 was an outstanding year for Paddy, picking up both European and Commonwealth Games gold medals and he was a powerhouse of the light-flyweight class at that time. Since then his form has dipped but there have been a few positive signs that he is on the way up once more.

London 2012 Prospects:

At his best, Paddy is certainly capable of replicating his medal winning run of Beijing 4 years ago, the worry being though that he hasn't been at his very best since 2010. Barnes won't go into the Olympics as a medal favourite but anyone writing him off prematurely would be foolish as he has the ability to progress right through to the medal bouts, despite not being seeded. It is hard to assess his chances for London but he is certainly one to look for and if things begin well for Paddy you could see him going very far as his confidence returns.

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Michael Conlan (Flyweight):

Date of birth: 19/11/1991

Hometown: Belfast

Height: 1.72m / 5 ft 8 ins

Club: St.John Bosco

Olympic Appearances: First-time Olympian

Honours: Quarter-finalist at World Championships (2011); Chemistry Cup Bronze Medallist (2012)

Twitter:https://twitter.com/mickconlan11

Form Guide:

Michael is heading to London in great form and took home a bronze medal from the prestigious Chemistry Cup competition in Germany in the spring. He was only beaten in that tournament on countback against the 2009 world champion and 2008 Olympic silver medallist from Mongolia after the tie was scored at 15-15 at the end of 3 rounds.
Similarly in the World Championships in Baku in 2011, Conlan impressed with victories over a Moldovan opponent and a Kazak boxer before defeating the world silver medallist Ouballi from France (whom he also beat at the Chemistry Cup) to secure his place at the Olympics. He only lost in the quarter-finals to current European champion Andrew Selby by a single point.
If these performances are anything to go by then Conlan will be a tough nut to crack in London.

London 2012 Prospects:

At just 20 years of age, Michael has a bright future ahead of him and he goes to London with a huge chance of taking home a medal. He is a match for any opponent and he could go all the way. Watch out for him!

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John Joe Nevin (Men's Bantamweight):

Date of Birth: 07/06/1989

Hometown: Mullingar

Height: 1.75m / 5 ft 9 ins

Club: Cavan B.C.

Olympic Appearances: Second-time Olympian

Honours: World Championship Bronze Medalist (2009) and (2011); the only Irish male boxer ever to win 2 World Championship medals; European Union Champion (2008)

Twitter:https://twitter.com/johnJoeNevin

Form Guide:

John Joe has been boxing well and his form would suggest that he is in with a great chance of getting into the medals in London. He lost a couple of bouts at a small tournament in France recently but that wouldn't be overly concerning.

London 2012 Prospects:

In simple terms, John Joe Nevin is a big prospect for an Olympic medal in London. He has the ability to overcome any opponent when he is on top of his game. The downside is that despite his 2 world bronze medals, Nevin often produces inconsistent performances and has suffered shock defeats in the past. All said and done, he is heading to London as one of the medal favourites in the bantamweight division and as one of Ireland's brightest prospects for success. He is certainly worth keeping an eye on.

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Adam Nolan (Men's Welterweight):

Date of birth: 11/03/1987

Hometown: Enniscorthy, Co.Wexford

Height: 1.84m / 6 ft 0 ins

Club: Bray B.C.

Olympic Appearances: First-time Olympian

Honours: Gold medal at European Olympic Qualifying Tournament (2012); Irish National Champion 2012.

Additional Info: Adam is a Garda by profession

Form Guide:

Adam's path to the elite end of the sport has been rapid to say the least. His performance at both the Irish Nationals earlier this year (where he convincingly came out on top in the most competitive weight class) and the European Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Trabzon, where he coasted to Olympic qualification and the gold medal in that event.

London 2012 Prospects:

It is difficult to assess Adam's chances of success as he is untested at the major championships to date. Nevertheless, those in the know in the sport are very excited about the southpaw's chances in London and give him a chance of getting into the medals.

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Darren O'Neill (Men's Middleweight):

Date of birth: 13/09/1985

Hometown: Paulstown, Co.Kilkenny

Height: 1.84m / 6 ft 0 in

Club: Paulstown B.C.

Olympic Appearances: First-time Olympian

Honours: European Championships Silver Medallist (2010); World Championships Quarter-Finalist (2011); European Union Champion 2009

Twitter:https://twitter.com/DarrenONeil

Additional Info: He is a primary school teacher by profession

Form Guide:

O'Neill reached the quarter-finals of last autumn's World Championships and he performed well at a recent tournament in France, recording close victories over a tough German and Moroccan opponents.

London 2012 Prospects:

Darren is an outside bet for a medal in London. He is certainly amongst the best half-dozen or so boxers in his class but whether he can take that extra step towards an Olympic medal is yet unknown. If Darren can perform to his best in London then he should be a good bet for progressing to the quarter-finals if he can get a decent draw and avoid the big guns in the opening rounds...after that, who knows?

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Katie Taylor (Women's Lightweight):

Date of birth: 02/06/1986

Hometown: Bray, Co.Wicklow

Height: 1.65m / 5 ft 5 ins

Club: Bray B.C.

Olympic Appearances: First-time Olympian

Honours: 4-time World Championships Gold Medallist (2006, 2008, 2010, 2012); 5-time European Championships Gold Medallist (2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011); European Union Gold Medallist (2008, 2009, 2010, 2011); AIBA Women's World Boxer of the Year (2008, 2010); Irish flag bearer for the Opening Ceremony of the 2012 Olympics

Form Guide:

It's hard to imagine another athlete in any sport from any country going into the London Olympics with a form book to match that of Katie Taylor. She has won all major Championship gold medals available to her since 2006 and she goes into the London Games as a 4 time consecutive World Champion and 5 time consecutive European champion....says it all really.

London 2012 Prospects:

Katie is overwhelming favourite to win the women's lightweight gold medal in London. However, anyone following her progress over the years will understand how difficult a task it will be for Katie to come out on top. Her main rivals have improved vastly over the years, but Taylor has been able to keep pace with their improvements and until now remains a step above the rest of the field. But at the most recent World Championships in China in May, although Taylor coasted through to the final, she had a tough encounter with Russia's Sofya Ochigava, the Irishwoman's main threat to her ambitions of gold. Taylor won by 4 points in the end but it was a close match for the opening rounds, Taylor pulling clear by the third and extending her lead in the last. Ochigava isn't the only threat either, as we saw at the Worlds that the so-called big guns struggled in many of their fights and new names coming to the fore. Also, at the World Championships in Barbados in 2010, Katie narrowly avoided defeat against American Queen Underwood so there is no such thing as a pre-destined gold medal.
Having said all that, we couldn't ask for a better chance of gold medal success and Taylor will hope to deliver the one gold that is missing from her vast collection of silverware.

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CANOEING....3 team members

Eoin Rheinisch (Men's K1 Slalom):

Date of birth: 21/02/1980

Place of birth: Dublin

Hometown: Leixlip, Co.Kildare

Nickname: Rhino

Height: 1.82m / 6 ft 0 in

Club: Salmon Leap Canoe Club, Leixlip

Olympic Appearances: Third-time Olympian

Honours: 4th place in Final of Olympic Games (2008); Gold Medallist at World Cup in La Seu d'Urgell (2004); 3rd place overall in World Cup Series (2006); 6th place European Championships (2007)

Website: http://www.eoinrheinisch.com/

Form Guide:

Eoin qualified for London with his 17th place at the European Championships in Augsburg, Germany in May. This was a great achievement for Eoin and ensured him a place in his 3rd consecutive Olympics team. Unfortunately Eoin hasn't been in the best of form since Beijing with highlights in that period being a 6th place finish at a World Cup event in Augsburg in 2009.

London 2012 Prospects:

His results at the World Cup in 2012 haven't been too much to write home about (21st place in Pau and 35th place in La Seu d'Urgell) but there is no doubting this guys ability. After all, he narrowly missed out on bronze at the Beijing Olympics 4 years ago and if he takes a liking to the course in London then you just never know what could happen.
The form book has Eoin written off at the Olympics but then again it showed a similar lack of promise prior to Beijing in 2008 and look what happened there!

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Hannah Craig (Women's K1 Slalom):

Date of birth: 10/02/1983

Hometown: Armoy, Co.Antrim

Currently based: Belfast

Nickname: Esky

Height: 1.67m / 5 ft 6 ins

Club: Shaw's Bridge, Belfast

Olympic Appearances: First-time Olympian

Honours: 13th place at World Championships (2010); 25th place European Championships (2012)

Additional Info: She was brought up in France before returning to Ireland; she runs her own clothing line called "I Am An Eskimo".

Form Guide:

Having come so close to qualifying for the Beijing Olympics in 2008, Hannah continued to work hard and placed a magnificent 13th at the World Championships in Ljubljana, Slovenia in 2010. She had a tough 2011 season which saw her fail to progress past the preliminary round in both World Cups in Ljubljana and Prague and she had an absolute disaster at the World Championships in 2011 when she picked up a 50 point penalty on both runs in qualifying for missing a gate, leaving her down in 66th place.
She bounced back well though with a 25th place finish at the Europeans but more importantly that result was enough to make it to the Olympic Games. She competed at World Cup events in Cardiff and in Pau, France in June but didn't progress past the preliminary stage in either, only managing 34th place in Cardiff and 43rd place in Pau.

London 2012 Prospects:

Hannah's form over the last 2 years hasn't been amazing but she's made it to the Olympics and with a bit of luck and good racing skills then she could make it into the semi-finals. A top 10 finish is unlikely but there's always hope.

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Andrzej Jezierski (Men's C1 200m Sprint):

Date of birth: 28/07/1980

Place of birth: Grodkow, Poland

Currently based: Ballincollig, Co.Cork

Height: 1.72m / 5 ft 8 ins

Club: Lee Valley Rowing Club

Olympic Appearances: First-time Olympian

Honours: 5th place at European Championships (2012); 8th place in C1 200m at World Championships (2003); Twice a gold medallist in C4 1,000m at the World Championships (2002, 2005); 2nd place at Olympic Qualification Tournament (2012); 2nd place at World Cup event in Szeged (2002).

Form Guide:

Andrzej is in super form this season and at the high-pressured Olympic qualification tournament for non-qualified Europeans, he grabbed one of the 2 remaining quota places available for the Olympics. He followed this success by a very encouraging 5th place finish at the European Championships. This result shows that he can aim very high in London as Europe is the powerhouse of the sport and at the World Championships in 2011 only one non-European paddler made the 9 man final in this event.

London 2012 Prospects:

His result at the European Championships just a few weeks ago shows that he can aim very high in London as Europe is the powerhouse of the sport and at the World Championships in 2011 only one non-European paddler made the 9 man final in this event. Andrzej not only has a good chance of advancing to the Olympic final but he has an outside chance of making it onto the podium....a must watch event for Irish fans.

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Shooting....1 team member

Derek Burnett (Men's Trap Shooting):

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Date of birth: 27/10/1970

Hometown: Kenagh, Co.Longford

Height: 1.78m / 5 ft 10 ins

Olympic Appearances: Fourth-time Olympian

Honours: Tied for 7th place at Olympic Games (2004); Silver Medal at World Cup event in Maribor, Slovenia (2007); Bronze Medal at European Championships (2010); Bronze Medal in Team Event at World Championships (2009).

Form Guide:

Derek received an invitation place from the I.S.S.F. (International Shooting Sport Federation) to compete in London and has been gradually buidling on his performances leading up to the Olympics. His best result of 2011 was a superb joint-8th place at the World Cup event in Maribor, Slovenia. 2012 has been encouraging for Derek and at a World Cup event in Tucson, Arizona back in April, he finished in joint-12th place, missing out on a top 6 final place by just a solitary target.
Again, on the World Cup stage at Lonato, Italy just a month later, Derek continued to impress, this time missing out on a final berth by just 2 targets....another joint-12th place result (15th place on countback).
What these results goes to show is that Derek is thereabouts in terms of sneaking into the top-6 final in his event and once there then anything can happen.

London 2012 Prospects:

Derek is heading to London for a fourth consecutive tilt at Olympic glory and he is in the kind of form that could get him close to making the final. That in itself is very exciting but as we saw in Beijing in 2008 where finished down in 29th position after a positive build-up to those Olympics, it has to be there on the day or else you will be well down the field....the margin for error in this sport is mighty fine.
Derek does provide the Irish team with an outside chance of success so it'll be worth keeping an eye out for his progress in at the Royal Artillery Barracks in Woolwich.

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CYCLING....4 team members

Nicolas Roche (Men's Road Race):

Date of birth: 03/07/1984

Place of birth: Conflans-Sainte-Honorine, France

Nickname: Nico

Height: 1.78m / 5 ft 10 ins

Pro Team: Ag2r La Mondiale

Olympic Appearances: Second-time Olympian

Honours: 7th place overall in Vuelta a Espana (2010); 12th place in General Classsement (overall) in Tour de France (2012); 2nd in stage 14 of Tour de France (2009); Stage win in Tour of Beijing (2011); 10th place in General Classification of Paris-Nice (2010); Irish National Road Race Champion (2008); Irish National Time-Trial Champion (2007).

Twitter: https://twitter.com/nicholasroche/

Website: http://www.nicolasroche.com/

Form Guide:

Nicolas had an impressive Tour de France, achieving a career high of 12th place in the General Classement (overall) and an excellent Stage 18 where he was narrowly beaten to the stage win by none other than Mark Cavendish. Other highlights of 2012 included a 20th place overall placing in the Paris-Nice and 19th place overall in the Tour of California.

London 2012 Prospects:

Nico has a decent chance of placing highly in the Olympic Road Race but it's difficult to say whether he can get into the medals. It will be tough as there are strong nations such as Spain, Italy and G.B. who will work as a team in order to set up their main men for the best possible finish and with Irish team numbers at just 3 that option is not available to them unless they can work with other nations. Expect tactics galore in this race and it should be fascinating to see it unfold. Nicolas should do well but how well or how high up the overall standings is anyone's guess.

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Dan Martin (Men's Road Race)

Date of birth: 20/08/1986

Place of birth: Birmingham, England

Height: 1.76m / 5 ft 9 ins

Pro-Team: Garmin-Sharp

Olympic Appearances: First-time Olympian

Honours: Victory/Yellow Jersey in Tour of Poland (2010); Stage 9 win in Vuelta a Espana (2011); Stage win in Tour of Poland (2010, 2011) Route du Sud Overall Champion (2008); Irish National Road Race Champion (2008).

Twitter: https://twitter.com/danmartin86

Website: http://www.danmartin86.com/

Form Guide and London 2012 Prospects:

Dan isn't experiencing his most successful season this year by his own high standards but that is not to say he won't be a force in the Olympic Road Race. His 8th place finish in Stage 1 of the Tour de France was one of the highlights of his Tour.
He has stated in his Diary column on his website that the Olympics is now a huge target for him and that he is full of confidence after his display in the hilly stage in Le Tour. Generally, the more gruelling the race, the more it plays into the hands of Dan and you can't write off his chances in London. As I said though, he is up against the might of strong teams from other countries who have the advantage of more healthy team numbers so that will likely be a factor. Nevertheless, he is an exciting prospect for the Irish Olympic team and it'll be a must watch race with Dan riding in the Irsh team colours.

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David McCann (Men's Road Race / Men's Individual Time Trial)

Date of birth: 17/03/1973

Hometown: Belfast

Team: RTS Racing Team

Olympic Appearances: Third-time Olympian (competed previously in Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004)

Honours: 11th place in Individual Time Trial at World Championships 2009; Record for most Irish National Time Trial titles (6 titles 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2009 and 2010); Irish National Road Race Champion (2000, 2001 and 2006); Winner of FBD Ras (2004); Winner of Tour of Philippines (2010); Winner of Tour de Taiwan (2010); Winner of Tour of Malaysia (2010); 5th place in Road Race at Commonwealth Games (2010).

Form Guide and London 2012 Prospects:

David finished 11th overall in this summer's FBD Ras and his best chances of a high placing at the Olympics is undoubtedly in the Individual Time Trial Event where he is an accomplished competitor. You get the sense that he is no longer in his prime at 39 years of age but a top 20 place in the time trial event could still be possible if he has it in the legs on the day.

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Martyn Irvine (Men's Track Cycling Omnium):

Date of birth: 06/06/1985

Hometown: Newtonards, Co.Down

Height: 1.79m / 5 ft 10 ins

Olympic Appearances: First-time Olympian

Honours: 7th place at World Championships (2012); 5th place at European Championships (2011); 7th place overall in World Cup Series (2012); 5th place at World Cup event in Beijing (2012); 5th place at World Cup event in Cali, Colombia (2012).

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Martyn_Irvine

Website: http://martynirvine.blogspot.ie

Form Guide:

Martyn is not only in the form of his life but he has put himself into a position whereby he can go to the Olympics with a genuine ambition of coming home with a top 6 place and maybe even a medal.
His 7th place at the World Championships in Melbourne this spring was the best result of his Omnium Career and also secured his qualification for the London 2012 showpiece. 5th place finishes at the World Cup events in Beijing and Cali further underline his potential.

London 2012 Prospects:

Martyn has an outside chance of a medal. He is certainly in top 8 range and is strong in 5 of the 6 Omnium disciplines so if he can nail the elimination race, his weakest event, then you feel that he has a superb chance of pushing for a very high placing.
Martyn's progress in London should be watched closely by all Irish Olympic fans...he should do very well.

Silvio.Dante · 25-07-2012 12:03pm

This is fantastic...:)

locum-motion · 29-07-2012 4:26pm

Can this be stickied, please?

Dan man · 29-07-2012 4:33pm

locum-motion wrote: »

Can this be stickied, please?

Done.

London 2012 Irish Olympic Team Profiles

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