Athletics: Sometimes it takes a bit of a low to inspire a new high, and a year on from arguably the worst Irish performance at a major championship the mood has definitely turned.
Without getting carried away, there is some real excitement about the 29 athletes named for the European Championships in Gothenburg, which begin on Monday week, August 7th.
What is certain is that there is a lot more to look forward to than there was at the World Championships in Helsinki this time last year. Although that team was cut severely by injuries, it had vanished with little trace with almost half the championships still to run. Gothenburg, however, looks set to produce several finalists and has the makings of the best major championships for Ireland in years, at least at this level.
The one question everyone asks, naturally, is about medal prospects. There's no Sonia O'Sullivan, no Mark Carroll, and no Gillian O'Sullivan, our last three major medallists outdoors. Instead we have Derval O'Rourke, the world indoor hurdles champion, and two reigning European indoor champions - David Gillick over 400 metres and Alistair Cragg over 3,000 metres. All three have been building steadily for Gothenburg and if they do hit a peak in a fortnight's time then medals are definitely a possibility.
Yet the Irish hopes don't start and finish with those three. Joanne Cuddihy has made such remarkable improvement over 400 metres this summer that she suddenly looks capable of making her final, as do both James Nolan and Liam Reale in the 1,500 metres and Paul McKee, also in the 400 metres.
In fact there are bright prospects throughout the team.
Róisín McGettigan improved the national 3,000-metre steeplechase record to 9:32.04 at the weekend and is now ranked seventh in Europe. Marie Davenport is fifth fastest over 5,000 metres, though she will concentrate on the 10,000 metres. Paul Hession (200 metres) and Mary Cullen (5,000 metres) also look well capable of making an impact.
Cragg - if he hits top form - is without doubt our main gold-medal prospect. His 13:08.87 for 5,000 metres in New York last month still leaves him the fastest in Europe this summer, and while Reale somewhat surprisingly beat him in the national 1,500 metres in Santry on Sunday, Cragg has been gearing everything toward Gothenburg.
Most of the team were present in Santry as Athletics Ireland announced their selection, a positive innovation that reflected the changing atmosphere and attitudes in the association.
One of those missing was O'Rourke, who runs in the Stockholm Grand Prix this evening looking to further improve her Irish 100-metre hurdles record of 12.92 seconds, set in Lausanne earlier this month.
O'Rourke's coach, Jim Kilty, was on hand, however, and sounded hugely upbeat about the possibilities for Gothenburg.
"I remember Derval did something in training before the world indoors that left me thinking she could definitely do something out there," said Kilty.
"And for the first time I got that feeling last week about the Europeans. If she can make the final, and knowing the way she runs, I definitely think she's in with a great shout for a medal."
Originally there were 39 Irish athletes qualified, but among those to withdraw was Sonia O'Sullivan, who skipped the entire summer.
The injured Rob Daly and Tomás Coman (both 400 metres), Maria McCambridge, Jolene Byrne, Sinéad Evans (all three 1,500 metres) and Olive Loughnane (20km walk), who recently had a baby, were others to withdraw.
Gary Ryan, a veteran of two Europeans and Olympics, is team captain. The equally experienced Patsy McGonagle is manager.
"I'm chuffed to see so many younger athletes on the team," said McGonagle. "So I'm very positive about this team, and also about where Irish athletes is going at the moment. We're seriously looking forward to these championships. I believe every one of these athletes takes ownership of the team, and if we can get finalists and even medallists then everyone feeds off that. That's the nature of this sport."
n Gareth Turnbull, who last month was revealed to have tested positive for testosterone, will today have his case heard by a three-man independent panel put in place by the Irish Sports Council. The 2001 World University Games 1,500m silver-medallist has hired several scientific experts to prove his innocence in what is one of the more marginal cases of a testosterone positive.
European Championships Irish Team
Gothenburg, August 7th-13th
Men
200 metres
Paul Hession, Paul Brizzel, Gary Ryan
400 metres
David Gillick, Paul McKee, David McCarthy
800 metres
Thomas Chamney, David Campbell
1,500 metres
James Nolan, Liam Reale
5,000 metres
Alistair Cragg, Martin Fagan
10,000 metres
Fagan
4x400 metres
(from: Gillick, McKee, McCarthy, Antoine Burke, Brian Doyle, Brian Murphy).
Women
100 metres
Anna Boyle, Emily Maher
200 metres
Ciara Sheehy, Joanne Cuddihy, Maher, Boyle
400 metres
Cuddihy
1,500 metres
Aoife Byrne
5,000 metres
Mary Cullen, Marie Davenport
10,000 metres
Davenport
3,000 metres steeplechase
Róisín McGettigan, Fionnuala Britton
100 metre hurdles
Derval O'Rourke
400 metre hurdles
Michelle Carey
High jump
Deirdre Ryan
Hammer
Eileen O'Keeffe
4x100 metre relay
(from: Boyle, Sheehy, Cuddihy, O'Rourke, Maher, Ailis McSweeney).
