World Student Games Team announce

ecoli

The following Irish athletes have been selected to represent Ireland at the 27th World University Games to be held in Kazan, Russia, from the 6th-17th of July.

In the sprints, Amy Foster (UUJ) goes in both the 100m and 200m for Ireland. Foster has been in flying form this season having equalled her 100m personal best of 11.49 seconds at the Mary Peters International in Belfast on June 25th. Foster also came within 0.07 seconds of her 200m P.B. set in 2011 when she ran 23.59 seconds in Loughborough on May 19th. Foster, who came a brilliant 7th in the 200m at the 26th World University Games, leads the Irish ranks in both events and will be hoping for at least a place in the finals this time around.

Foster will be joined in the 200m by University of Limerick student, Niamh Whelan. Whelan, who has an impressive P.B. of 23.30 seconds, set in Budapest in 2010, has come into form in recent weeks having run her season’s best at the AAI Games on the 9th of June. Whelan followed up this effort with yet another sub-24 performance just one week later and will be looking to close in on her P.B. and make the finals in Kazan.

DCU star Brian Gregan goes in the 400m for Team Ireland. Gregan has been in incredible form this season, setting a new personal best and dominating the 400m at the recent European Team Championships for Ireland. The European U/23 400m silver medalist, who is ranked 4th in Europe following his scintillating 45.53 seconds performance in Huelva on June 9th, finished 5th at the 26th World University Games in 2011 and will be looking to go one step further this time around and bring home a medal.

In the 400m Hurdles, Jessie Barr (UL) will represent Team Ireland. Barr – a 2012 Olympian and European Championship finalist – goes into the 27th World University Games with high hopes of making a final following her disappointing exit in the heats two years ago. Barr will be hoping to get back to personal best territory (55.93 set in Helsinki, 2012) in order to do so and, given her recent 56.74 seconds performance, it looks as though she is set to peak just in time.

In the distance events, Ireland will be represented by 5 students. UCD’s Ciara Everard goes in the women’s 800m and will be hoping to regain the form that saw her reach the European Indoor Championships 800m final in March. Her P.B. of 2:02:54 put her 7th on the Irish All-Time list and if Everard can replicate that kind of performance, she could well see herself in her second major championship final of 2013.

Claire Tarplee (Loughborough University) will line up in the women’s 1500m for Ireland. Tarplee has shown impressive form this season in the event having produced a P.B. performance of 4:11:35 in Goteburg on the 15th June to top the Irish ranks in 2013. Tarplee will be hoping to produce an even better effort in Kazan and secure a spot in the final.

In the 3000m Steeplechase, Ireland will be represented by both Michelle Finn and Tomas Cotter . Finn recently competed at the European Team Championships for Ireland and set her personal best of 9:54:00 on June 1st this year. Finn will be hoping to replicate this kind of form and put herself in contention for a place in the finals. Cotter, who also recently competed at the European Team Championships, secured his place on the plane to Kazan when he produced his season’s and personal best time of 8:41:02 in May this year. Although tactics will come in play, Cotter has quality enough to find himself in the finals if he can perform to his potential and will be hoping to do so in Kazan.

Finally, Laura Reynolds (DCU) competes in the 20k Walk for Ireland. Reynolds, who came 20th in the London Olympics, has a personal best of 1:31:02 for the event, set at the Games, which interestingly would have won her the World University Games two years ago, where she finished 12th. Reynolds has come a long way since then and will be looking to contend for a medal this time around.

Athletics Ireland wishes the best of luck to all athletes/coaches involved.

http://www.athleticsireland.ie/content/?p=33222

Pisco Sour

Great chance for Gregan to bag a major title here. Who are his biggest contenders?

Will these Games be televised anywhere?

ecoli

Pisco Sour wrote: »

Great chance for Gregan to bag a major title here. Who are his biggest contenders?

Will these Games be televised anywhere?

I assume there will be a few streams for this anyway as I remember watching it in 2011.

Here is the timetable of events;

http://kazan2013.ru/en/events?filter%5Bdate%5D=07.07.2013&filter%5Bsport%5D=AT

I haven't seen final declarations yet of who is running this but ill see if I can dig up any of the teams

ecoli

Had a look and David Verburg seems to be one of Gregan's biggest rivals for top spot;

4th NCAA outdoor
5th in US Champs this year
44.75 PB

More enduranced based 400 athlete like Gregan so should be suited to the rounds

He has however had a very long season (Indoor and outdoor NCAAs plus US Trials so far this year)

Most likely will be part of the 4x4 pool for Moscow also

Deano7788

There's live coverage on Eurosport 2 every day.