The Nationals

thirtyfoot

The biggest track meet of the Irish season is on this weekend. You can have the Cork City or Morton Memorial with the overseas athletes but its the Nationals where all the Irish athletes go head to head. Should be some good events.

The Men's 10000 is expected to be a cracker with Cragg and Fagan possibly competing. The mens 400 too where Gregan will be in with a shout of taking the crown with Gillick doing the 200. McKee is still to be fancied to win that though. Will Chamney avenge this season with his own airplane where being a 1:51 won't gaurantee you a final spot. The high hurdles too with McDonald vs Coghlan will be interesting. The womens sprints will be good too and lets hope the speedy juniors compete. Will Cuddihy be able to find form in the 400 and I hope Mcgettigan, Britton and English compete in the steeple. Any other battles out there whet the appetite?

thirtysomething

Where are they on?

Racing Flat

Santry.

10,000 will be a cracker, even without cragg and fagan, some top names there all around the same standard.

I've a sneaking suspicion we might get an 800 qualifier out of this. Maybe heats the day before makes this a bit more difficult, but I wouldn't be unduly surprised if Campbell pulled one out of the bag...

TheRoadRunner

Racing Flat wrote: »

I've a sneaking suspicion we might get an 800 qualifier out of this. Maybe heats the day before makes this a bit more difficult, but I wouldn't be unduly surprised if Campbell pulled one out of the bag...

Hopefully but I doubt it. I really can't see either of them running 1.46 in Santry. I would love to be wrong though.

I wonder if they have approached anybody and asked them to pace their heats.

Racing Flat

TheRoadRunner wrote: »

I wonder if they have approached anybody and asked them to pace their heats.

I don't think pace makers are allowed in championship races.

Squirrel

Racing Flat wrote: »

I don't think pace makers are allowed in championship races.

Wouldn't be a pacer, would be another competitior who sacrifices their own chances to set a pace, not organised by the competition so not a true pace maker. I'll be in the 800 and hoping it'll be slow enough to scrape into the final

Rineanna

Thanks for the thread, Tingle.

I'm looking forward to see if Eilleen O' Keefe can finally hit top form in her favourite throwing circle, and blast out a few big throws to set herself up nicely for Beijing.

Tingle wrote: »

Will Cuddihy be able to find form in the 400 and I hope Mcgettigan, Britton and English compete in the steeple. Any other battles out there whet the appetite?

As far as I know, Cuddihy is skipping the nationals to recover from her injury of late. Apparently she's being given until the holding camp in Matsue (at least I think they're going to the same place as last year to acclimatise) to prove her fitness. That's according to Patsy McGonagle in the Indo today.

http://www.independent.ie/sport/other-sports/athletics-cuddihys-olympic-hopes-high-despite-setback-1435083.html

TheRoadRunner

Squirrel wrote: »

Wouldn't be a pacer, would be another competitior who sacrifices their own chances to set a pace, not organised by the competition so not a true pace maker. I'll be in the 800 and hoping it'll be slow enough to scrape into the final

yep exactly what I was thinking.

Best of luck anyway

Racing Flat

Squirrel wrote: »

Wouldn't be a pacer, would be another competitior who sacrifices their own chances to set a pace, not organised by the competition so not a true pace maker. I'll be in the 800 and hoping it'll be slow enough to scrape into the final

Best of luck with your endeavours. Incredibly deep field for the 800 - hard to pick 8 finalists...bound to be a few shocks knocked out in the heats.

Would be grateful if people can post results up here - unfortunately unable to attend and will be dying to find out results asap. Thanks.

Rineanna

Incredible consistency by O' Keefe; she's rounding into top form in perfect timing, and she'll hopefully peak with a new NR in the Bird's nest.

thirtyfoot

Rineanna wrote: »

Incredible consistency by O' Keefe; she's rounding into top form in perfect timing, and she'll hopefully peak with a new NR in the Bird's nest.

Might as well pack up an go home as we have seen the performance of the champs again from Eileen. Her speed in the circle was amazing, she is looking so good. Friday night is going to be great. Conditions were a bit iffy, she had to contend with a rain shower and its very gusty. Some great throwing from the other girls too, Akers had what looked like a 60m, yet read back as 56 and Hickey got a 50m throw in too. Success may breed success.

Common Sense

TG for Eileen; also a very good performance from Fagan in the 10,000 and a very exciting (sprinter's) finish to the 3k steeple with Chesser holding off Farrell by .08 of a second. Biggest disappointment was the men's 200m (no disprespect to Graham who won) with the withdrawal from the competition with a twinge felt in warm up by Gillick and a no show for the final by Brizzell. Under the rules of competition (if I'm correct) Brizzell cannot now compete in the 100m tomorrow. Also huge disappointment in the 1500 with no show by Cragg, Turnbull and J. Nolan. Good women's 200 though with Proper taking her first track gold medal and also a good show from Britton in the women's steeple while Mary McLoone seems to have made the Triple her own with another national title. Overall, though, I found day flat and am looking forward to better tomorrow.

corigi

Just like to say well done to both Brian Farrell and Daragh Gragham keep up the good work.

thirtyfoot

Common Sense wrote: »

Under the rules of competition (if I'm correct) Brizzell cannot now compete in the 100m tomorrow. .

Yes thats true. I think he has more DNS and DNFs that any other athlete, ever:D

Common Sense wrote: »

J. Nolan. .

He's injured I believe, won't be running anymore this season.

Rineanna

Does anyone have any results from today, apart from the ones that were shown on RTE and on the aai website? I'm having withdrawal symptoms after the live feed we had yesterday! I take it from the pictures on the AAI site that Chamney got his revenge on Campbell in the 800m, but what time did he run, does anyone know?

Common Sense

I'm just home from Santry so don't know what was shown on RTE. As far as I can remember Chamney's winning time was 1:50. Working back from the end of the day -

Michelle Carey won the the 400h from 2 Ferrybank girls Sheehan and Barr

Thomas Carey won the Men's 400h from Jonathon Miller. Can't remember who was third

Maria McCambridge won the 5000m from Kerry Harty and Annette Kealy.

Colm Rooney won the 1500 from McNamara and Richie from Raheny

Roisin McGhettigan beat Kelly McNeice and Roseanne Galligan in the 1500

Kelly Proper set a new u23 LJ record (6.43) to win from Annette Stafford and Mary McLoone

Donegan won the Pole Vault, but failed at 3 attempts to break the national record.

Javelin was still in progress when I left

Mulhaire won the junior 3000m.

ZiggyStardust

Results now on AAI website. New Irish record for Heffernan.

http://www.athleticsireland.ie/content/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/2008%20Senior%20Results%20T&F.pdf

thirtyfoot

Hession was just class, I watched it back on TV later and he looked savage. Also delighted for Marian Andrews and dipping into the 53's and then very humble and gracious in her interview afterwards. Peter Coghlan winning his 10th title was good to see also.

The speedy juniors seemed jaded by their exploits in Poland but they have bright futures in the years ahead.

token56

Congrate to all athletes who competed, a great day by the sounds of it.
In particular congrats to Mulhaire in the Juniors he is in brilliant form with a great run in Cork last weekend too. Hope he keeps it up