Irish Team for Berlin Announced

thirtyfoot

http://www.rte.ie/sport/athletics/2009/0804/athleticsireland.html

Chamney get to double in the 1500 and no Britton in the Steeple the only real talking points I'd say!

Olive Loughnane - 20k Walk
Robert Heffernan - 20k Walk
Paul Hession - 200m
Derval O'Rourke - 100m H
David Gillick - 400m
Roisin McGettigan - 3,000m Steeplechase
Alistair Cragg - 5,000m
Eileen O'Keefe - Hammer
Jamie Costin - 50k Walk
Colin Griffin - 50k Walk
Deirdre Ryan - High Jump
Deirdre Byrne - 1,500m
Michelle Carey - 400m Hurdles
Thomas Chamney - 800m / 1,500m

Rineanna

Is Maria McCambridge injured? I'm guessing so.

Other than that, it's pretty much as expected.

RoyMcC

No Proper after her two 6.68s (albeit windy) at the weekend

Stupid_Private

Tingle wrote: »

no Britton in the Steeple the only real talking points I'd say!

I could be wrong about this but I think I read somewhere last week that she was heading to Australia training rather than competing... but then again it could have been a totally different athlete. The article was on the AAI website previewing the nationals IIRC

...edit that... just checked and it was Cuddihy. As you were!

mrak

Rineanna wrote: »

Is Maria McCambridge injured?

Yep.

Kiptanui

F Britton didn't make herself available for selection.
(or so the rumour mill in santry at the weekend revealed)

gerard65

Mary Cullen??

thirtyfoot

gerard65 wrote: »

Mary Cullen??

Out due to injury/sickness, pity.

ChickenTikka

Congrats to Chamney on being selected for the 800/1500 - he certainly deserved the 800 selection and is larger than life and just the type of guy athletics needs.

But I was dissapopinted not to see Campbell selected. His 800m times recently have been top class. He had the B standard for the 800, but didn't have the B standard for 1500 (is that correct?). So I guess thats why he wasn't selected for 1500??

I wonder if it was wise for Campbell to double up in the Nationals .... running the 1500 surely didn't help him in the 800m.

Were AAI disallowed from sending 2 athletes with the B standard in 800? I'm sure it would have been within their remit to send Campbell in 800 and Chamney in 1500. But I guess that would be very controversial since Chamney won the 800.

I've no allegiance to either athlete and in fact Chamney going will mean more very entertaining interviews on flotrack ... just think Campbell is making a big effort with zero reward.

Abhainn

Tingle wrote: »

Out due to injury/sickness, pity.

Yes out since Great Run in April. Seems to be pelvic fracture

Trekkie Monster

As far as I recall, you can only send one athlete with a B standard (as well as one with 'A'). Of course a country can still send three athletes if they all have the A standard.

Well done to the race walkers who represent 4 of the 14 athletes going to Berlin!

The_Kew_Tour

Have Hession and Gillick a real chance of making the finals in there respective events?

As far as I know Hession was 10th fastest man last year so he must have a chance

and I heard Gillick has top 3 fastests runs this year over 400 metres. (i stand corrected on this though)

shels4ever

adrian280582 wrote: »

Have Hession and Gillick a real chance of making the finals in there respective events?

As far as I know Hession was 10th fastest man last year so he must have a chance

and I heard Gillick has top 3 fastests runs this year over 400 metres. (i stand corrected on this though)

I'd expect Gillick to make the final this year, and Hession to be close (I hope)

mrak

adrian280582 wrote: »

and I heard Gillick has top 3 fastests runs this year over 400 metres. (i stand corrected on this though)

The iaaf has a good database of "this years" fastest.

http://www.iaaf.org/statistics/toplists/inout=o/age=n/season=2009/sex=M/all=n/legal=A/disc=400/detail.html

Granted not everyone will have shown their hand but Gillick has 13th fastest time and is joint 4th fastest person so he has a great chance of making final.

cickimc

Does anybody know on what RTE/BBC and the story with them showing Berlin Like is it just highlights or full coverage

Rineanna

cickimc wrote: »

Does anybody know on what RTE/BBC and the story with them showing Berlin Like is it just highlights or full coverage

BBC and Eurosport will be showing it in full (i.e. live - it may be on BBCi), but, as far as I know, our own RTÉ aren't showing it.

sleapy235

I imagine RTE will only be showing an hours highlights in the evening as per usual, while BBC will more than likely have fairly comprehensive coverage. With the red button now I'd say you won't miss anything if you've got BBC.

eltuerto

sleapy235 wrote: »

I imagine RTE will only be showing an hours highlights in the evening as per usual, while BBC will more than likely have fairly comprehensive coverage. With the red button now I'd say you won't miss anything if you've got BBC.

Wrong, not even the highlights!!! RTE are concentrating their efforts, for a change, in wall to wall previews, reviews, live matches, highlight matches, interviews, thrills, digs, and fights of all the GAA action. I mean the World Athletics is only a fecking oul international event.

Oh and by the way, lets make sure our GAA players playing for the wealthiest sport organisation in the country, get grant money from the budget of INTERNATIONAL competitors from other sports. Excuse me while I hammer my head against a wall in frustration!!!!

Pherekydes

eltuerto wrote: »

Wrong, not even the highlights!!! RTE are concentrating their efforts, for a change, in wall to wall previews, reviews, live matches, highlight matches, interviews, thrills, digs, and fights of all the GAA action. I mean the World Athletics is only a fecking oul international event.

Oh and by the way, lets make sure our GAA players playing for the wealthiest sport organisation in the country, get grant money from the budget of INTERNATIONAL competitors from other sports. Excuse me while I hammer my head against a wall in frustration!!!!

Hey! Let's not diss our national broadcaster. They had wonderful coverage of the recent world swimming championships. They showed each and every Irish competitor in their event...


...and nothing else. No Michael Phelps, no Aaron Peirsol. :rolleyes:

I wonder will they just cover Ireland's matches in the forthcoming Soccer and Rugby world cups?

Personally, I've given up on RTE for my athletics coverage.

ecoli

cickimc wrote: »

Does anybody know on what RTE/BBC and the story with them showing Berlin Like is it just highlights or full coverage

RTE no coverage and BBC as far as i know is prety much full coverage thank god

cickimc

Have to say this RTE WHAT A BUNCH OF W

---

S. and the buffers in the g.a.a aren't too far off

When ever a G.A.A man says to me that athletics aint a sport all i have to say is
''when was gaelic last in the olympics o thats right g.a.a aint really a sport (i know it is a sport just say that to rise them)

sleapy235

Hey! Let's not diss our national broadcaster. They had wonderful coverage of the recent world swimming championships. They showed each and every Irish competitor in their event...


...and nothing else. No Michael Phelps, no Aaron Peirsol.

I wonder will they just cover Ireland's matches in the forthcoming Soccer and Rugby world cups?

Personally, I've given up on RTE for my athletics coverage

.

To be honest I wa delighted that they focused on the Irish swimmers, thats all I'd really be interested, and to a certain extent I'd be the same for athletics. Most Irish people have never heard of Aaron Peirsol and will never care about him so I think it was good to introduce the Irish swimmers and show how much they are improving.

Can't believe they'e not even showing highlights, they will probably have very brief reports at the end of the news such as 'It was another miserable day for the Irish at the World Athletics Championships in Berlin. Athlete X failed to progress from the heats of Event X, Athlete X's time was almost a full second off their personal best. Athlete Y also missed out on the final of Event Y having failed to produce a national record. Meanwhile, David Gillick finished 3rd in the final of the 400m in a time of 44.29, over a full second outside the world record.'

Lads there's no need to be dissing the GAA, if you have to pick one to diss, pick rugby, which gets a ridiculous amount of coverage for the amount of people that actually play it, and it is played in only slightly more countries than GAA. The GAA has done a lot for Irish society over the years, and did a lot for Irish athletics in its early years.

cickimc

Ya maybe I was a bit harsh on the G.A.A but its the local parish players that annoy with their hard training and tough sport (county level is different)

Ya but I like the rugby crowd because of their hard working and dedicated players some of them true sportsmen
But the amount of money which was and still is gettin pumped into horseracing was a disgrace. It should have gone it too public pools walking trails and public gyms. To improve the healt and fitness of the nation but they put it into horse racing can any body clarify if that is under tourism or sport with goverment spending

Maybe its a little off our starts going to Berlin if so sorry

sleapy235

The amount pumped into horse and greyhound racing does seem a little disproportionate. However, it must be remembered that these sports are in effect an industry which contribute a lot of jobs to the economy and it is therefore important that they are sustained well. I think its included under sport but there is a separate fund for horse/greyhound racing and other sports. However, I do think its a joke that so much is allocated towards it yet they can't build a decent indoor track or a velodrome.
And regarding the GAA, I'd agree with eltuerto in that I don't think county players should get high performance grants, they are supposed to help top international athletes compete against the best in the world. GAA players still work regular jobs, for Olympic athletes doing so would not allow them to participate at the required level to be competitive so a grant is almost essential. In fairness to our athletes they haven't ever gotten together to form an organisation as selfish and elitist as the GPA, could you imagine Derval O'Rourke and Paul Hession demanding that 5/10% of all gate receipts at county juvenile cross country championships be given to the elite athletes?!

mrak

Back on topic of irish team - do we seem to be having trouble keeping our long distance runners healthy.? Fagan, Cullen, McCambridge, Britton out or off form. Perhaps others I can't think of.

Cragg at 5k is our longest-distance runner left and though I'm a huge Cragg fan I wouldn't put money on him finishing all his races. Is it just a coincidence or the nature of the discipline that breaks people down (mileage demands).

You would think that these people have the best possible metabolism and advice. I speak as someone who's regularly crocked myself but blame it on my own ignorance and training errors. Perhaps a little too much pressure applied from sponsors for them to race too often..? Fagan and Cullen were real shining lights a few months ago and it's very dissapointing that they are out for the big one.

tunguska

We have nobody representing us(at this event) for marathon distance, male or female. Thats a bit sad.

And dont get me started on RTE.........theyre pathetic. Wall to wall coverage of the GAA but bugger all else. I remember when stephen Roche won the tour the France we had coverage of that race for about 2 years after but then it was dropped, never to be seen again. Watching the tour de France on TV when I was a kid is what got me into cycoling and competing in the first place. Watching major sporting events on TV is what gets a lot of kids into sport, but our national broadcaster doesnt care about such matters, so long as the GAA gets its air time its all good.

Rineanna

On topic regarding the Irish marathon, it's a pity that Fagan and McCambridge are not in the squad for whatever reason, but this time next year they should both be aiming for the European Champs marathon all going well.

Just a quick aside on the issue of RTE coverage, as this thread is really for team talk. I hate playing Devil's advocate in this case, but as much as we might want to fault RTE for lack of general athletics coverage, the fat of the matter is that if they've a choice between showing some random GAA inter-county match and an athletics meet, the chances are that the audience the GAA will draw in will dwarf that of the athletics. Athletics coverage more than likely doesn't pull in any major revenue for them through advertising revenues, so it's really a no-brainer to show more GAA than athletics given GAA will have a line up of advertisers wanting to associate their brand with the sport due to its huge national following. Unfortunately athletics doesn't have the same following and RTE are a business after all (not that they mind hiking up the License fee). Now, teh lack of coverage of the Worlds is another thing. :mad:

Anyway, we've gone totally off topic.

ChickenTikka

Rineanna wrote: »

Unfortunately athletics doesn't have the same following and RTE are a business after all (not that they mind hiking up the License fee)

Off topic still, its a pity that RTE doesn't have public service broadcasting within its remit so that it can cover these non-commercial sports. :rolleyes:

On topic, echoing mrak's disappointment that a lot of our big stars in distance running are not available for Berlin due to injury. It may be just bad luck and a reflection that we have a small pool of athletes to choose from so any withdrawal is more keenly felt. Or maybe our high performance system is failing these athletes in terms of helping them be healthy and peaking for the right times? Not sure if our high performance system has any influence on them in that respect.

If the pressure is too much to take part in other events outside the major championship events, is that caused by our system of selection/standards or by financial pressures? I think it would be very worthwhile to involve the elite athletes and their coaches in a review of these systems to help improve the system from the athletes’ perspective. Ultimately they want to be healthy and at the top of their game for the major championships – that’s how they will be remembered. And that’s what the paymasters (the taxpayer) wants too even though the funds are small for the athletes involved.

For example maybe we should have a bonus system in place for performances at the major championships? The elite carding system is somewhat based on your ranking in the major championships in previous years. It rewards historical performances not current and future performances. Maybe it should also have a bonus element for actual performances at major championships in the current year.

Rineanna

ChickenTikka wrote: »

Off topic still, its a pity that RTE doesn't have public service broadcasting within its remit so that it can cover these non-commercial sports. :rolleyes:

Fair point. But i guess they view OB sports as taking care of that side of things. :rolleyes:

thirtyfoot

ChickenTikka wrote: »

Off topic still, its a pity that RTE doesn't have public service broadcasting within its remit so that it can cover these non-commercial sports. :rolleyes:

RTE are financially ruined so getting coverage for the minority sports will be rare. However, the highlights programme did garner 6 figure viewing numbers so that may lead them to believe that people are interested in athletics.

ChickenTikka wrote: »

. Or maybe our high performance system is failing these athletes in terms of helping them be healthy and peaking for the right times? Not sure if our high performance system has any influence on them in that respect.

.

I think our HP unit isn't really a HP unit as you might want it to be. Travel agent, team selection, team management at events is about the remit for what I can see. They have little effect on the athletes day to day training. I keep saying this but a Director of Athletics would have filled that role or at least have been able to give advice on training scheduling, race scheduling etc etc.

I'd say the injuries to the distance athletes is just bad luck and each needs to be looked at on an individual basis.

TheRoadRunner

Tingle wrote: »

RTE are financially ruined so getting coverage for the minority sports will be rare.

Agreed.

Tingle wrote: »

However, the highlights programme did garner 6 figure viewing numbers so that may lead them to believe that people are interested in athletics.

That's not bad going. I was wondering about the viewing figures and would never have thought they would have hit such a high number. The blanket coverage of GAA does bother me but it's hard to argue with economics of it presently.

Back on topic regarding the team. It's a decent team but would have been great if we could have had got a men's 400 team in. Does anybody know if there was any attempt by an Irish quartet to qualify ?

Kiptanui

We have only two men inside 47 seconds this season- its a non runner.
Paul Mckee has had injury problems and Gordon Kennedy hasn't been in the same form as last year over the 400m. the 5th fastest man this season is outside 48 seconds so options were limited.
Hopefully next year all the guys will be in shape and with some further improvement from Gregan we may have a team.

sleapy235

The qualification standard for the mens 4x400m was 3:03.30 and if my memory serves me correct the national record is 3:03.73 so even if everyone was fit and healthy it would still have been a long shot.

Fish'n'Chips

I think people are barking up the wrong tree in blaming RTE for the lack of coverage of the World Champs when in fact the reality is athletics in Ireland has little to no profile in this country.

Who's fault is that? I would say Athletics Ireland mainly and until they produce a sport that is marketable to the public then people shouldn't expect RTE, Newspapers and other media outlets to cover athletics in greater detail.

A marketable sport to the general public is one which will mainly be based around CONSISTENT success (medals and competitive finalists) at SENIOR International level. I'm not saying this is necessarily right but I do believe this is the reality and people need to face up to this. How much of this type of success have we had? Why not?

That's what AAI seem to forget - nobody out there (apart from athletics people) really give a toss about success at Junior/Under 23/Youths/World Student/Underage level etc. That papers over the cracks at the higher level which is really where it counts.

I think a lot of people involved in athletics operate within a bubble and play the victim but can't see where athletics stands in the bigger picture which is pretty much nowhere because we don't have enough athletes at Senior level regularly competing in finals or competing for medals.

myflipflops

FishnChips wrote: »

I think people are barking up the wrong tree in blaming RTE for the lack of coverage of the World Champs when in fact the reality is athletics in Ireland has little to no profile in this country.

I agree with this to a certain extent.

RTE are in a certain financial position. Dropping live coverage of a minority sports that is fully available to Irish viewers through the BBC is not a decision that I can find much wrong with. Anybody who wants to watch can switch to BBC whose (in my opinion) generally excellent coverage does the sport justice.

Completely off topic, what does annoy me about RTE is when they do spend the money to cover athletics, they often do an appalling job of it. I'm actually a fan of the Kiernan, Coughlan, Sonia approach at the last Olympics but allowing Catherine Davis to commentate is like picking a shot putter to run the marathon and George Hamilton is a poor football commentator shunted onto other sports. At nationals they never do simple things like put up a clock or anything like that. All of this just puts off the casual viewer who may switch on to watch the sport for a bit.

Kiptanui

Athletics Ireland cannot just pull a marketable sport out of thin air. We are a minority sport and have to fight harder for exposure. They are trying but it is also the responsibility of each county, each club and each member to ensure that capable people are elected to the board. At congress, every vote counts.

There were two clocks at the nationals by the way!
BTW We are miles off topic!! Apologies!!

Stupid_Private

Kiptanui wrote: »

Athletics Ireland cannot just pull a marketable sport out of thin air. We are a minority sport and have to fight harder for exposure. They are trying but it is also the responsibility of each county, each club and each member to ensure that capable people are elected to the board. At congress, every vote counts.

There were two clocks at the nationals by the way!
BTW We are miles off topic!! Apologies!!

I'll drag this further away by talking about the clocks! I think pwhite was talking about a clock on the screen on RTE's coverage and not at the actual stadium. I didn't catch the highlights package so I'm only assuming this.

About the clocks at the stadium. Why did all the clocks have to stop when the first person crossed the line? Is was quite annoying in the 5000m for example, after Cragg crossed the line you had no idea what time everyone else was doing.

eon1208

eltuerto wrote: »

Wrong, not even the highlights!!! RTE are concentrating their efforts, for a change, in wall to wall previews, reviews, live matches, highlight matches, interviews, thrills, digs, and fights of all the GAA action. I mean the World Athletics is only a fecking oul international event.

Oh and by the way, lets make sure our GAA players playing for the wealthiest sport organisation in the country, get grant money from the budget of INTERNATIONAL competitors from other sports. Excuse me while I hammer my head against a wall in frustration!!!!

very well said eltuerto...its an unmitigated disgrace and shows the tunnel vision and international sporting ignorance the decision makers have.....

myflipflops

Kiptanui wrote: »

Athletics Ireland cannot just pull a marketable sport out of thin air. We are a minority sport and have to fight harder for exposure. They are trying but it is also the responsibility of each county, each club and each member to ensure that capable people are elected to the board. At congress, every vote counts.

There were two clocks at the nationals by the way!
BTW We are miles off topic!! Apologies!!

I never mentioned AAI nor said anything about the organisation of nationals. My post was entirely about RTE.

Kiptanui

The post before yours by Fish'n'Chips did. :rolleyes:

Kiptanui

Who will be Irelands leading performer in Berlin?

My vote goes to Olive Loughnane.

Fish'n'Chips

Originally posted by Kiptanui
Athletics Ireland cannot just pull a marketable sport out of thin air. We are a minority sport and have to fight harder for exposure.

Kiptanui, why are we a minority sport?

cfitz

Stupid_Private wrote: »

About the clocks at the stadium. Why did all the clocks have to stop when the first person crossed the line? Is was quite annoying in the 5000m for example, after Cragg crossed the line you had no idea what time everyone else was doing.

That's the standard in all big competitions as far as I know. I suppose it's so that you can see the winner's exact time right away without waiting for the results(especially useful in record attempts and sprints). Even watching on tv it can be annoying coz there's usually no clock left running on the screen once the winner has finished.

Kiptanui

FishnChips wrote: »

Kiptanui, why are we a minority sport?

We are a minority sport in the sense that athletics coverage does not have mass appeal.Whether we like it or not, the general public wants to read about robbie keane, colin cooper, the kilkenny hurlers and Brian O'Driscoll a lot more than about David Gillick, Paul Hession or Eileen.

The numbers that Tingle quoted for the viewing figures were impressive. However, they should be reviewed in context. We had our national championships last weekend and there were muchless than 500 people there (inclusive of both days) who weren't competing, coaching or officiating.

I'm not going to rant on about this as it is pretty obvious. By the way, before someone jumps in, the numbers that take part in events such as the womens mini marathon are not an indication of the mass appeal of our sport. The vast majority are doing it to raise funds, achieve a personal goal etc. That is admirable and fair play to them but not indicative of the public profile of athletics.

parkerpen

Really hope we win something. Olympics so disappointing after all the hype.

myflipflops

Kiptanui wrote: »

We are a minority sport in the sense that athletics coverage does not have mass appeal.Whether we like it or not, the general public wants to read about robbie keane, colin cooper, the kilkenny hurlers and Brian O'Driscoll a lot more than about David Gillick, Paul Hession or Eileen.

The numbers that Tingle quoted for the viewing figures were impressive. However, they should be reviewed in context. We had our national championships last weekend and there were muchless than 500 people there (inclusive of both days) who weren't competing, coaching or officiating.

I'm not going to rant on about this as it is pretty obvious. By the way, before someone jumps in, the numbers that take part in events such as the womens mini marathon are not an indication of the mass appeal of our sport. The vast majority are doing it to raise funds, achieve a personal goal etc. That is admirable and fair play to them but not indicative of the public profile of athletics.

This is a very fair post.

mrak

Good if a little depressing article by Iain O'Riordain on the walking wounded in yesterdays times:

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/sport/2009/0808/1224252231475.html

Dodge

parkerpen wrote: »

Really hope we win something. Olympics so disappointing after all the hype.

What hype? I thought it was a great showing at the Olympics. Its highly unlikely that Ireland will win any medals.