Build up to the 2010 European Championships, Barcelona (Steve Colvert qualifies)

Pherekydes

Don't forget Chesser's PB of 3:42.2

Pisco Sour

I sent this email to the high performance of the AAI yesterday. No word back yet.


Dear Sir/Madam,



I am writing to you to express my concern and dissappointment at the recent comments by Irish team manager Patsy McGonagle that Martin Fagan may not be selected for the European Championships if he misses the National Championships in Santry this weekend.



While it is important to have the best athletes at our sport's showpiece event, in certain cases common sense must prevail. Martin Fagan is preparing for the Marathon, which is not like other track events. It requires different preparation. Fagan is currently training at altitude in Arizona in preparation for this race. There is absolutely no benefit whatsoever in making him fly 3000 miles home to compete in a track race, when he will be competing on the roads in Barcelona.



Fagan competed in the National 10km road race championships this April, a closer equivalent to the Marathon than a track race in Santry is. There is simply no sense at all in making him fly home to compete in a 2nd national championship this year just for the sake of it.



Fagan is one of our most talented athletes and has a genuine chance of a medal. As a passionate fan of Irish Athletics I would love nothing better than to see our team win as many medals as possible in Barcelona. This is something which will do the sport a world of good in this country and help push it into the spotlight ahead of the more popular sports of GAA, Soccer and Rugby. Not selecting one of our top athletes would be a crazy decision.



I look forward to your response



Thank you

ecoli

Kennedy qualifies for Barcelona in 46.57 to win Nationals

RealistSpy

Anyone has links to the results for the Nationals?

---

ops just saw the thread!----

IrishTrackFan1

<Snip>

Mod: If you're not going to substantiate these allegations then don't bother posting them. I don't care whether it's is true or not.

SitUbuSit

Hi all,

From the recently announced team and from Martin Fagan's facebook page, it appears that he hasn't been picked from Barcelona?

Does anyone have any further information? If this is purely because of not running at the Nationals, then I'm really annoyed?

Is he injured or off form?

Séamus

Rineanna

Irish team announced: http://www.athleticsireland.ie/content/?p=14284

Proper's included, which means we have no less than 3 Female jumpers in the squad in three different events (first time ever?).

Women's 4x400m team as well!

seamuscarey wrote: »

Hi all,

From the recently announced team and from Martin Fagan's facebook page, it appears that he hasn't been picked from Barcelona?

Does anyone have any further information? If this is purely because of not running at the Nationals, then I'm really annoyed?

Is he injured or off form?

Séamus

Think they mentioned on OB Sports that he's injured. Again.

IrishTrackFan1

Any reason given for excluding Griffin?

dna_leri

IrishTrackFan1 wrote: »

Any reason given for excluding Griffin?

Griffin has grade1 hamstring tear but maybe that's not the reason.

IrishTrackFan1

dna_leri wrote: »

Griffin has grade1 hamstring tear but maybe that's not the reason.

Well I posted on this last night but went too far for the Mod and apologies for that. Fagan, McGettigan and Griffin are left out - any transparency or process that would let us believe that these decisions are objective and fair? What event can Fagan or Griffin do to show their fitness in the Nationals that relates in any meaningful way to the Marathon or the 50k Walk?
We should not send athletes to major games that are not fit, but the same people who did that in years past are making the decisions now (nobody believes Foley has any input to any serious decisions) and its hard to believe that there has been any real change in their thinking or modus operandi.
I think senior athletes should be trusted if it is not their first champs. I don't believe Fagan or Griffin would bother going to Barcelona unless they themselves knew they were ready so why not trust them? If they mess it up by making the wrong decision (i.e. going when they are not fit) then they make life much tougher for themselves in future and that is as it should be.
What we are seeing more than anything here is the lack of knowledge and experience in the professional staff - a triathlon coach can't possibly contribute anything significant to these subtle issues, and coming from abroad he has no clue about the history of the various characters whispering in his ear. The CEO situation is even more dire, and with all the problems coming down the road we are looking more and more like we are heading for a Waterford Glass ending - AAI out of business as per Swim Ireland. Again complete lack of exposure to the sport - coaching, high performance, club development etc etc etc - can't be compensated for by smooth marketing delivery. And simple things (like having a woman on the sub-committee dealing with the abuse allegations, like ensuring that any athletes being coached by the individual are told what's happening) seem to be beyond him. Or indeed the simple conflict of interest that happens when the individual under investigation has actually being approached by the CEO to work in the organisation (seemingly unaware of what the dogs in the street have known to be a problem for years) and the CEO is on the aforesaid sub-committee!
I've never been more pessimistic about the organisation of our sport. Brendan Foreman, Bill Coghlan and the other great leaders we have had must be spinning in their graves.

Pherekydes

IrishTrackFan1 wrote: »

McGettigan ...left out

I don't think Róisín has the time from this year or last.

IrishTrackFan1

Pherekydes wrote: »

I don't think Róisín has the time from this year or last.

Oops, that was a typo - it was Fagan and Griffin I was focussing on!

Rineanna

I only heard about these allegations today, but if possible, could I kindly ask that wait until further information is in the public domain before it's discussed here, as it's about as sensitive a topic as can be and could go horribly wrong especially if the discussion just revolves around speculating.


...anyway, Jerry Kiernan predicts 3 medals from that team...do we agree?

Pherekydes

2, Gillick and a walker.

Pisco Sour

If Fagan is left out because of not competing in the nationals then I will be disgusted to the core.

The man flew home for the National 10km/ Great Ireland Run this April. Yes this man, sat around for days waiting for a flight, with all the hassle of the volcano ash delays. Yet he made it here. Shows how much respect these stubborn unknowledgeable people at the top of this association have for him.

Surely for a marathon runner it makes more sense to go to the national 10km road race champs than it does to go to Santry, would you not agree?

IrishTrackFan1

Rineanna wrote: »

I only heard about these allegations today, but if possible, could I kindly ask that wait until further information is in the public domain before it's discussed here, as it's about as sensitive a topic as can be and could go horribly wrong especially if the discussion just revolves around speculating.


...anyway, Jerry Kiernan predicts 3 medals from that team...do we agree?

DOR, Gillick and a walker.

letsbefriends

04072511 wrote: »

If Fagan is left out because of not competing in the nationals then I will be disgusted to the core.

The man flew home for the National 10km/ Great Ireland Run this April. Yes this man, sat around for days waiting for a flight, with all the hassle of the volcano ash delays. Yet he made it here. Shows how much respect these stubborn unknowledgeable people at the top of this association have for him.

Surely for a marathon runner it makes more sense to go to the national 10km road race champs than it does to go to Santry, would you not agree?

k

Fish'n'Chips

IrishTrackFan1 wrote: »

What we are seeing more than anything here is the lack of knowledge and experience in the professional staff - a triathlon coach can't possibly contribute anything significant to these subtle issues, and coming from abroad he has no clue about the history of the various characters whispering in his ear. The CEO situation is even more dire, and with all the problems coming down the road we are looking more and more like we are heading for a Waterford Glass ending - AAI out of business as per Swim Ireland. Again complete lack of exposure to the sport - coaching, high performance, club development etc etc etc - can't be compensated for by smooth marketing delivery. And simple things (like having a woman on the sub-committee dealing with the abuse allegations, like ensuring that any athletes being coached by the individual are told what's happening) seem to be beyond him. Or indeed the simple conflict of interest that happens when the individual under investigation has actually being approached by the CEO to work in the organisation (seemingly unaware of what the dogs in the street have known to be a problem for years) and the CEO is on the aforesaid sub-committee!
I've never been more pessimistic about the organisation of our sport. Brendan Foreman, Bill Coghlan and the other great leaders we have had must be spinning in their graves.

With the type of morons running the sport not being able to keep the timetable on schedule at the showcase event of the year, the National Championships, it's scary to think about what might happen with what's coming down the line for the organisation.

A lot of the same people are still involved in running the sport as there was a few years ago when an incident involving a coach and a juvenile athlete on an AAI training camp in Malta was "buried".

longjump67

Rineanna wrote: »

I only heard about these allegations today

What allegations against whom

drrunner

Am going to err on the side of optimism and predict four medals....Hession, Gillick, DOR and one of the walkers/Chamney to deliver (though think Chamney should focus on just one event). Think Chamney has a touch of the DOR attitude that can lead him to rise to the occasion now...
Irish athletes have achieved and will continue to achieve great things in spite of rather than because of "the system"!!! Bring it on....

drrunner

longjump67 wrote: »

Rineanna wrote: »

I only heard about these allegations today

What allegations against whom

See link http://www.independent.ie/national-news/irish-athlete-claims-she-was-abused-by-coach-2254205.html

Though any specifics should not be discussed/speculated on in this forum of course.

longjump67

That's all we need :mad:, thought all coaches, officials and anyone associated with athletes had to be screened to stop this sort of thing happening, I know that I have gone through this vetting process.

NickDrake

David McCarthy??

Strange choice yet again. Another poor showing could be on its way.

brutes1

Few high profile omissions from the team that surprised me - Fagan/Kenneally/Mcgettigan, Mary Cullen??!! ..Can anyone shed any light on these - injured/outside the standard ??

Pherekydes

NickDrake wrote: »

David McCarthy?

He has the standard. What's the problem?

brutes1 wrote: »

Few high profile omissions from the team that surprised me - Fagan/Kenneally/Mcgettigan, Mary Cullen??!! ..Can anyone shed any light on these - injured/outside the standard ??

McGettigan doesn't have the standard; Cullen injured, I think; Kenneally lost his xc form; the others, I don't know.

ecoli

These omissions seem to be more form and injury related which is understandable but Fagans situation is a joke he ran national championships back in April which should count for something. also looking at the selection policy which is separate for marathon there is no where that says that an athlete must compete in nationals compared to track and field criteria which explicitly mentions it The only thing is that there is still room to fix this hopefully. Fagan is running this weekend and the final team will not be announced till the 27th which gives them a chance to send him on form, if they dont it could have major implications on the athlete who is one of our best distance runners in future championships

aburke

Pherekydes wrote: »

Kenneally lost his xc form;

Mark Kenneally is injured/sick.
He was at nationals for a look anyway.

wgtomblin

Pherekydes wrote: »

McGettigan doesn't have the standard; Cullen injured, I think; Kenneally lost his xc form; the others, I don't know.

Cullen and Keneally out with injury & illness, according to previous press reports.

Fagan could be added to team by next week; would be very surprised if he wasn't.

Rineanna

AILIS MCSWEENEY 11.40 NEW NATIONAL RECORD!

letsbefriends

where?