Irish Road to European Athletics Championships 2010

kilkenny runner

With less a year to the start of the European Athletics Championships 2010 in Barsalona. this thread is for you to chat about stuff from irish athletics to the state of European Athletics..

have Fun !!:D:D

kilkenny runner

44.70

Irish medalists in European Championships

1958 1,500m Ronnie Delany BRONZE 3.42.3

1969 1,500m Frank Murphy SILVER 3.39.51

1978 1,500m Eamonn Coghlan SILVER 3.36.57

1994 3,000m Sonia O’Sullivan GOLD 8.31.84

1998 5,000m Mark Carroll BRONZE 13.38.15
1998 5,000m Sonia O’Sullivan GOLD 15.06.50
1998 10,000m Sonia O’Sullivan GOLD 31.29.33

2002 5,000m Sonia O’Sullivan SILVER 15.14.85
2002 10,000m Sonia O’Sullivan SILVER 30.47.59

2006 100m H Derval O’ Rourke SILVER 12.72

kilkenny runner

44.70

1994 =
Sonia O'Sullivan taking Gold in the 3,000 metres.
Altogether 3 top eight finishers.

1998 =
the result of the most medals won at the European Championships by ireland. Sonia O'Sullivan taking gold in the 5,000m and 10,000m and Mark Carroll wining bronze in the 5,000m for men.
altogether 6 top eight finishers.

2002 = Ireland sent 13 athletes
with Sonia O'Sullivan wining sliver in both the 5,000m and 10,000m for women.
altogether 7 top eight finishers.

2006 = Ireland sent 26 athletes
with Derval O'Rourke wining sliver in the 100m Hurdles.
Altogether 3 top eight finishers

kilkenny runner

44.70

so we have more athletes taking part but our top eight finishers are decreasing ....
why is this ????
whats your take on this ????

kilkenny runner

44.70

i dont know but is anyone getting really excited by next years european athletics championships ??? because i am really getting excited !!:D
maybe it will turn out to be false hope who knows??
who is our best of winning a medal ????
well i can think of so many its not even funny !!
Paul Hession , David Gillick, Alister Cragg, Martin Fagan, Robert Heffernan, Thomas Chamney, Derval O'Rourke, Olive Loughnane , Kelly Proper, Mary Cullen, Roisin Mcgettigan

well with the men we have ....
Paul Hession 200m runner in 2007 he posted his national record of 20.30 placing him 3rd in the european rankings and just missed out on a place in the world championships 200m final.
In 2008 he was one place outside of making an olympic 200m final with a seasons best of 20.32 placing him 2nd in the European rankings for 2008 with only 30 year old christian malcom from britain ahead of him with an unexpected time of 20.25 in beijing.
going into Berlin in two weeks he is placed 5th in the european rankings with 20.40. paul will be hoping to go near his PB in berlin to try and make that final break through.
i think over the last three years paul has been the most consistent 200m runner in europe so i think when you look at it at the moment paul has a great chance of claiming gold or sliver. but alot can happen in a year in athletics but as it stands thats the story. one man i think who i think might upset paul's european dream is Ramil Guliyev from azerbaijan he is only 19 and has posted a 20.04 time this year.. keep an eye on him in Berlin .. he's my big worry.


David Gillick 400m Runner... leading European 400m runner going into Berlin in two weeks and ranked 5th in the world this year. two times a european indoor 400m champion..national record holder for 400m with 44.77 this summer. gillick is going to end up on top of the rankings in europe this year and you might say would be favourite to win gold at next years European's but in not quite sure to be honest last years fastest europen Martyn Rooney the 23 year old has been injured for most of the season and is going to berlin in bad form but with this years winter training behind him he will be very dangerous.. other challengers may include swedens johan wissman who hasnt being running with outdoors this year but he's one that can run fast.. also big threats atr the Borlee twins from belguim at the age of twenty both have run under 45.0 seconds Jonathon Borlee posted a belguim record of 44.78 this summer just outside gillicks best.
since then he has picked up a stress fracture and is out for the rest of the year but one to watch next year. his brother kevin Borlee has run 44.88 last year but this year his best time is 45.43 but he could be dangerous inbarsalona next summer. of course gillick will have to produce the same form he's in now to stand a chance of a medal next summer but im optimistic:D

more to follow soon on other athletes.......:cool:

SitUbuSit

kilkenny runner wrote: »

1994 = Ireland sent 3 athletes
with Sonia O'Sullivan taking Gold in the 3,000 metres.
Altogether 3 top eight finishers.

I definitely think we sent more than 3 in 1994. I remember we had Sonia and Anita Philpott in the 3000m. Then we must have had Nicky Sweeney, TJ Kearns, Terry McHugh, James Nolan etc.

Trekkie Monster

Maybe it's a bit early to be discussing next year's European track championships, when we have to get through the Worlds, the Euro Cross, and lots of other smaller championships. There's even a football World Cup to look forward to!

kilkenny runner

44.70

David Gillick is up for European Athlete of the month for july 2009 .. please vote by visting for him at europeanathletics.org

kilkenny runner

44.70

who thinks Rte will show full coverage of next years European Athletics Championships in Barsalona ? who dosent think it will happen ???