Athletics 2024

yerwanthere123

New thread for a new year!

Big year coming up, hopefully we may even see an Irish athlete on an Olympic podium.

yerwanthere123

Looking forward to the year ahead. Will be going to my first ever Olympics in Paris in August, and hope to go to the European Championships in Rome too if money allows.

Hoping to see continued improvements for Irish athletes this year, and that Mageean and Adeleke make the Olympic final. Thinking Adeleke is our best shot at a medal, but it's a tough event.

Looking forward to seeing what Sifan Hassan has in store for us this year. My guess at this stage is it'll be the 5k/10k/marathon Olympic triple, but she'll likely keep us guessing until the last minute.

I'm also very excited about the distinct possibility of a first ever sub 14 women's 5k, hopefully one of Kipyegon, Tsegay or even Chebet go for it at some stage. I'm also wondering if someone will make a sub 29 10k attempt at some stage this year, Tsegay or Gidey might be the best bet for that.

On a personal note, I hope I have a successful year running myself. I've been sidelined for the past 5 weeks with suspected tendonitis, so hopefully I'll be back on my feet soon 🥲

Here's to another exciting year of following this amazing sport!

Hamachi

Great thread. Looking forward to this coming Olympic year. Outside of the obvious Irish medal potential represented by Mageean and Adeleke, there are two other Irish prospects I’ll be following:

Sarah Lavin: She’s only been training full time for 2 years. The results have been phenomenal, including lowering Derval’s NR. What excited me even more, was her accomplishment in breaking Phil Healy’s 100m NR. This demonstrates that she has the basic flat speed to be successful. If Sarah continues improving this year, she has a legitimate outside shot at making the 100m hurdles Olympic final.

Sharlene Mawdsley: We all witnessed her heroics in the relays in Budapest, dragging Ireland into two global finals. What excited most is that she lowered her individual PR to 51.09 and that 49.60 relay leg. This suggests that she has the potential to drive down her PR to well below 51 seconds. Realistic ambitions for her are to become Ireland’s second fastest woman over 400m (Joanne Cuddihy’s old NR was 50.73) and to target the Olympic semi final.

We should also have a strong women’s 4x400m relay squad, assuming Phil Healy can get back to her best form and Adeleke is open to running the relay. The Olympic final should be a stretch goal for that squad.

Lastly, I’m also excited for Sarah Healy. Breaking 4 and not being too far off the world championship final was a huge accomplishment for her last year. I feel that her positive trajectory will continue into 2024 and she may have that Olympic final in her sights.

yerwanthere123

The 2026 European Athletics Championships at risk of being moved from Birmingham due to lack of funding

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cyj9gk88vd9o

Really hope this doesn't happen, athletics is always so well supported in Britain. The Commonwealth Games had an electric atmosphere in Birmingham.

Hamachi

Phil Healy opened her indoor season this weekend, with a 200m / 400m double. She ran 23:45 for the former and 53.18 for the latter distance.

Not spectacular, but a solid enough rust buster this early in the season. Would be great to see Phil get back down towards her 51.7 indoor PB. More importantly, she has hopefully put her health issues behind her.

mister paul

M55 world record for Shane Healy in 3000m

https://athleticsweekly.com/event-reports/irelands-shane-healy-sets-stunning-world-m55-3000m-record-1039974388/

Ceepo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121596794#Comment_121596794

Another record breaking performance from Shane today, this time in the 800m. Running 2.02.46 and taking 4 seconds of the previous record.

Ceepo

What a way to start 2024.

New world record in Valencia 10k road race.

OUT OF THIS WORLD 🔥

🇰🇪's Agnes Ngetich smashes the 10 kilometres road race world record* by an astonishing 28 seconds at the @10KValencia and becomes the first women in history to break 29 minutes.

28:46 🤯

*Subject to the usual ratification procedures

tomhammer..

Take it with a pinch of salt ATM the way things are with the Kenya doping problem

yerwanthere123

Haven't seen anything in Ngetich's progression to suggest she was capable of this, hasn't even broken 31 minutes on the track although she did finish 6th at World's last year.

The runner up is even more fishy though. Emmaculate Acholi runs 28:57 despite having never broken 15 minutes for 5k on the track, and only has a 32:52 10k PB. Let's hope it's all legit 🫣

Ceepo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121614452#Comment_121614452

She was 3rd in the world cross last year and also ran 29. 24 which was a world best for women's oy field last September. While it's not near her run today, it's not nothing either. Also at 22/23 years of age there might have been room for improvement,

Interesting she was 1 second under the current 5k road world best on her way to today's win.

Whether there was that much room for improvement,??? I'm not sure.

Emmaculate has a 30.01 from Lille in October. Taking over a minute off that again is huge,. If not unbelievable

Efrem Gidey was also in action today running 27.56. Poor run from Sean Tobin in 29. 36. Obviously something not right with him.

ReeReeG

Has anyone managed to get the discount code on the athletics Ireland website for Rome tickets working??

yerwanthere123

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121616053#Comment_121616053

Is that for everyone to use or do you have to be an athletics Ireland member? I was looking at buying tickets soon

ReeReeG

I'm not actually sure .. I'm a member so won't really make much difference to me. I've contacted Athletics Ireland in a few ways and zero response 🙃

yerwanthere123

Just the two national records in one night for Adeleke, disappointing 😤

https://twitter.com/Cathal_Dennehy/status/1748828039692063168?t=frALHd9eb-Qk8G6RyIMw_w&s=19

https://twitter.com/Cathal_Dennehy/status/1748833062103011447?t=iGZfqPzglCh_jNdvfyHuEg&s=19

Pherekydes

Back problems sorted, it seems. She gets out very well for someone so tall.

Ceepo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121646311#Comment_121646311

It's great to she has improved her raw speed, let's hope her strength / endurwork is on par. Really excited to see what she can do this year.

Ceepo

This might have few under the radar somewhat, but I See Feargal Curtin ran 61.45 Houston half marathon last weekend to finishing in 10th place

I believe he is aiming for Saville marathon

Str8outtaWuhan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121647349#Comment_121647349

Tbh she won't podium, great runner but won't do it. Reminds me of Reece and mona, so much hype but the Olympics is a different animal than the world championships or the pro circuit.

yerwanthere123

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121647405#Comment_121647405

Great that you can see into the future 🥴

She finished 4th in the world at age 20. She's got many years of improvement left and she'll likely take another chunk off her 49.20 PB. I've no idea how you've come to the conclusion in January - off the back of her setting two national records in one night - that she won't be able to medal in Paris.

tomhammer..

It's mostly extra pressure at the Olympics. It can affect athletes and make them underperform

A lot of outstanding athletes couldn't replicate WC performance at Olympics

Not sure how it differs otherwise unless I'm missing the obvious?

Wottle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121647405#Comment_121647405

I'd back her, mature beyond her years, mental strength is her super power.

Hamachi

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121648013#Comment_121648013

She’s certainly started the season with a bang.

Her prospects at the Olympics really depend on who turns up on the start line in Paris.

Shaunae Miller Uibo will be back from maternity leave, Salwa Eid Nassar’s doping suspension has elapsed, Sydney McLaughlin may choose to run the 400m.

That’s before we even mention reigning world champion Mariledy Paulino, plus the very impressive Europeans; Natalia Kazmarek and Lieke Klaver. Who knows, even Femke Bol might run the event if the scheduling is favourable.

The probability of her reaching the podium will be much clearer by late June / early July.

Wottle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121648375#Comment_121648375

It's stacked for sure, I just think she's going to a new level and last night confirms it.

Has to be one of the most exciting events in Paris, that and mens 1500.

Ceepo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121648441#Comment_121648441

I'd agree, I think she has a good chance of a podium. None of us has a magic ball, we can't predict the future. Anything could happen to any of the athletes mentioned, at any point in the next few months. All she can do is keep preparing the way she is, get to start line in the best shape possible. She certainly will be in there athletes thoughts as much as they're in hers.

She has proved she is capable of racing and not just running fast times.

ReeReeG

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121648375#Comment_121648375

Imagine a final with all of these women in it, unrealllllll

Str8outtaWuhan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121647553#Comment_121647553

Ill return after Paris, we can check my prediction.

Runster

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121647553#Comment_121647553

Theres a big difference between performing at the Olympics and setting two national records for a small country like Ireland.

As mentioned above if the likes of Paulino etc compete and Miller-Uibo is well over her post baby body, then she will be lucky to make the finals.

yerwanthere123

Theres a big difference between performing at the Olympics and setting two national records for a small country like Ireland

I never suggested otherwise. I was simply stating that it's a bit mad for someone to confidently predict at this stage of the season that she's not going to medal in Paris. Barring an injury, it's highly likely she's only going to get better. She came 4th in a very strong World Championship field despite being obviously fatigued. There's a long way to go yet, but if she continues her current trajectory then she'll be a medal contender in Paris.

Runster

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121651983#Comment_121651983

You did suggest otherwise actually but you seem to have your mind set on her winning a medal so I'll leave you to it.

yerwanthere123

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121652029#Comment_121652029

No, I said "if she continues her current trajectory then she'll be a medal contender in Paris". Please read posts before you respond to them.