A look at the irish squad heading for Barcelona
Men
100 METRES
Jason Smyth (City of Derry).
Age: 23.
PB: 10.32. 2010 Best: 10.32.
European Rank: =37th.
European Leader: 9.98 (Christophe Lemaitre, France).
Prospects: The first Paralympic athlete to compete at a European Championships, will be aiming for a place in the second round.
200 METRES
Paul Hession (Athenry AC).
Age: 27.
PB: 20.30. 2010 Best: 20.46.
European Rank: 5th.
European Leader: 20.16 (Christophe Lemaitre, France).
Prospects: One of the few genuine medal contenders, will need to get into the final and improve on his Irish record to claim it.
Steven Colvert (UCD).
Age: 19.
PB: 20.90. 2010 best: 20.90.
European Rank: =43rd.
Prospects: A late qualifier who will benefit from the experience.
400 METRES
David Gillick (Dundrum SD).
Age: 27.
PB: 44.77. 2010 Best: 44.95.
European Rank: 2nd.
European Leader: 44.77 (Jonathan Borlee, Belgium)
Prospects: A great chance to win outdoor medal he craves. If he can handle pressure that medal is possible.
Brian Gregan (Clonliffe Harriers).
Age: 20.
PB: 46.26. 2010 Best: 46.65.
European Rank: =63rd.
Prospects: Injury has hampered his season, and will do well to get out of the first round.
Gordon Kennedy (Tullamore Harriers).
Age: 29.
PB: 46.48. 2010 Best: 46.57.
European Rank: =58th.
Prospects: Qualified late by winning the national title and has the confidence to make the semi-finals.
800 METRES
David McCarthy (Le Cheile AC).
Age: 27.
PB: 1:46.82. 2010 Best: 1:46.82.
European Rank: =31st.
European Leader: 1:44.30 (Marcin Lewandowski, Poland).
Prospects: Ran a lifetime best just last Sunday, but will still find it hard to progress beyond the heats.
1,500 METRES
Thomas Chamney (Crusaders AC).
Age: 26.
PB: 3:36.83. 2010 Best: 3:36.83.
European Rank: 10th.
European Leader: 3:34.50 (Andy Baddeley, Britain).
Prospects: Has experience and form to make final, but will need to produce something very special to do anything beyond that.
Rory Chesser (Ennis Track Club).
Age: 23.
PB: 3:40.08. 2010 Best: 3:40.08.
European Rank: =44th.
Prospects: The national steeplechase champion makes his first championship appearance, but is unlikely to have the speed to progress.
5,000 METRES
Alistair Cragg (Clonliffe Harriers).
Age: 30.
PB: 13:07.10. 2010 Best: 13:21.66.
European Rank: 8th.
European Leader: 12:57.25 (Alemayehu Bezabeh, Spain).
Prospects: His championship record has been terribly poor lately, but still can’t be dismissed.
Mark Christie (Mullingar Harriers).
Age: 25.
PB: 13:37.36. 2010 Best: 13:37.36.
European Rank: 23rd.
Prospects: Made further progress this season but still short of the sort of times needed to make the final.
20km WALK
Robert Heffernan (Togher AC).
Age: 32.
PB: 1:19.22. 2010 Best: 1:20.45.
European Rank: 7th.
European Leader: 1:18.24 (Alex Schwazer, Italy).
Prospects: Will be typically fearless in pursuit of top-10 finish.
Jamie Costin (West Waterford AC).
Age: 33.
PB: 1:22.45. 2010 Best: 1:24.55.
European Rank: 61st.
Prospects: Has moved down from 50km this year and won’t be lacking in will or effort.
50km WALK
Colin Griffin (Ballinamore AC).
Age: 27.
PB: 3:51.32. 2010 Best: 4:06.05.
European Rank: 26th.
European Leader: 3:49.54 (Rafal Augustyn, Poland).
Prospects: Injury has sidelined him in recent weeks and may not yet make the start line.
Relay additions: 4 x 400m Relay
Brian Murphy (UCC), with Gillick, Gregan, Kennedy, McCarthy.
WOMEN
100 METRES
Ailis McSweeney (Leevale AC).
Age: 26.
PB: 11.40. 2010 Best: 11.40.
European Rank: =25th.
European Leader: 11.05 (Alena Neumiarzhytskaya, Belarus).
Prospects: Ran an Irish record two weeks ago and may make semi-finals.
200 METRES
Niamh Whelan (Ferrybank AC).
Age: 19.
PB: 23.30. 2010 Best: 23.30.
European Rank: 23rd.
European Leader: 22.41 (Aleksandra Fedoriva, Russia).
Prospects: A first major championship for the young Waterford talent, who can gain valuable experience.
400 METRES
Joanne Cuddihy (Kilkenny City Harriers).
Age: 26.
PB: 50.73. 2010 Best: 51.94.
European Rank: 18th.
European Leader: 50.16 (Anastasiya Kapachinskaya, Russia).
Prospects: Still some way short of the form that saw her make the final in Gothenburg four years ago, but can make the semi-finals.
800 METRES
Rose Ann Galligan (Newbridge AC).
Age: 22.
PB: 2:02.39. 2010 Best: 2:02.39.
European Rank: 45th.
European Leader: 1:57.56 (Mariya Savinova, Russia).
Prospects: First major championship, with form to progress to second round.
100 METRES HURDLES
Derval O’Rourke (Leevale AC).
Age: 29.
PB: 12.67. 2010 Best: 12.96.
European Rank: 11th.
European Leader: 12.57 (Carolin Nytra, Germany).
Prospects: No better championship performer on the team, but will need another storming run in the final to match the silver of four years ago.
400 METRES HURDLES
Michelle Carey (Dublin Striders).
Age: 29.
PB: 56.19. 2010 Best: 57.63.
European Rank: 47th.
European Leader: 54.00 (Natalya Antyukh, Russia).
Prospects: Has some experience but yet to show her best form this season.
Justine Kinney (Loughbourgh AC).
Age: 22.
PB: 57.13. 2010 Best: 57.13.
European Rank: 36th.
Prospects: The Cambridge native, who qualifies to compete for Ireland through her parents, recently won the national title and can make the second round.
Brona Furlong (Slaney Olympic).
Age: 23.
PB: 57.75. 2010 Best: 57.75.
European Rank: 52nd.
Prospects: Making her first major championship appearance, and will need to improve her season best to see the second round.
3,000 METRES STEEPLECHASE
Fionnuala Britton (Sli Cualann).
Age: 25.
PB: 9:41.36. 2010 Best: 9:42.49.
European Rank: 14th.
European Leader: 9:17.07 (Marta Dominguez, Spain).
Prospects: A former finalists who can make the final again this time.
Stephanie Reilly (Sli Cualann).
Age: 32.
PB: 9:48.94. 2010 Best: 9:48.94.
European Rank: 20th.
Prospects: Surprise qualifier who will gain from the experience.
HIGH JUMP
Deirdre Ryan (Dundrum South Dublin).
Age: 28.
PB: 1.92. 2010 Best: 1.87.
European Rank: =42nd.
European Leader: 2.03 (Blanka Vlasic, Croatia).
Prospects: Hasn’t come near the form of three years ago.
POLE VAULT
Tori Pena (Finn Valley AC).
Age: 23.
PB: 4.35 m. 2010 best: 4.35.
European Rank: =26th.
European Leader: 4.72 (Carolin Hingst, Germany).
Prospects: Born and raised in California, recently declared for Ireland through her grandmother, and has good potential for the future.
LONG JUMP
Kelly Proper (Ferrybank AC).
Age: 22.
PB: 6.59m. 2010 Best: 6.41.
European Rank: =64th.
European Leader: 7.13 (Olga Kucherenko, Russia).
Prospects: Still one of the most exciting talents in Irish athletes but has struggled with form this summer.
20km WALK
Olive Loughnane (Athenry AC).
Age: 34.
PB: 1:27.45. 2010 Best: 1:28.36.
European Rank: 8th.
European Leader: 1:25.11 (Anisya Kirdyapkina, Russia).
Prospects: Possibly the best medal hope of all if she can repeat the brilliant silver medal show at last year’s World Championships in Berlin.
Relay Additions: 4 x 100 m Relay: Claire Brady (Celbridge), Amy Foster (Ballymena), with Whelan, O’Rourke, Proper, McSweeney; 4 x 400 m Relay: Marian Heffernan (Togher), Claire Bergin (DSD), with Cuddihy, Carey, Kinney, Furlong.
