Men

200 Metres

Gary Ryan (Nenagh Olympic).

Personal Best: 20.67 (Irish record) - 1997.

Championship record: As national record holder in both 100 and 200 metres, the 27 year-old is the most consistent Irish sprinter of the decade and is making his second world championship appearance after ending up 18th overall in Athens two years ago. Reached quarter-final stage of the 200 metres at the Atlanta Olympics and the semi-final in the European Championships last summer.

Ryan's form this season has been as good as ever, winning his fourth successive national 200 metres title and also improving the Irish record to 10.45 seconds when taking the 100 metre title.

Expectations: "I've been somewhat inconsistent this summer but this is where you have to get it together. I can only race against myself and take one round at a time."

Paul Brizzell (Ballymena and Antrim). Personal Best: 20.74 (1999).

Championship record: Seville will be Brizzell's first run at World Championships although he was part of the Irish 4x100 metre relay team in 1997, the same year he finished fourth in the European under-23 final. Also represented Ireland over 200 metres at the European Championships last summer.

Secured his place in the Irish team by running 20.74 to win the IAAF Permit meeting in Budapest and also took the two silver medals behind Ryan at the national championships.

Expectations: "So much depends on the mental and emotional condition, but I know Paul has a 20.5 in his legs." - coach Maeve Kyle.

(Qualifying Rounds: Tues 24th/Wed 25th; Final: Thur 26th)

400 Metres

Paul McBurney (Lisburn AC). Personal Best: 46.11 (1999).

Championship record: This will be McBurney's first championship appearance for Ireland after declaring from Britain earlier this year. Qualified for Seville when running his best of 46.11 seconds at Europeans. Won his first national 400 metre title in 47.09 seconds last month. Represented Northern Ireland in the last two Commonwealth Games but this will be the first World Championships for the 27-year-old.

Expectations: "I know I'll have to run 45 seconds if I want to progress out of the first round because it's going to be very competitive."

(Qualifying Rounds: Sun 22nd/Mon 23rd/Tues 24th; Final: Thur 26th)

800 Metres

James Nolan (UCD). Personal Best: 1:46.05 (1999).

Championship record: Nolan started to underline all his potential from the start of the year, first by finishing fifth at the World Indoor Championships in Japan in March, then running a solo championship best of 1:46.61 in the heats of the national championships and more recently taking a silver medal at the European Under-23 championships in Gothenberg in 1:46.94.

Nolan also ran a debut of 3:56.31 for the mile and lowered his best to 1:46.05 when finishing third in the Helsinki Grand Prix.

Expectations: "I've been planning the races all summer to get me through the first two rounds. It means running 1:46 back to back, but I've consistently been there all summer and that should get me into the semi-final."

David Matthews (UCD). Personal Best: 1:44.82 (Irish record) - 1995.

Championship record: This has been a difficult season for the Irish record holder after losing his long-term coach and mentor Noel Carroll last year. Now under the coaching guidance of Jim Kilty, he started out with a number of impressive domestic victories and achieved the standard for Seville with a season's best of 1:46.20 in Riga.

Already has the experience of two World Championships behind him. At 22, reached the Olympic semi-final in Atlanta.

Expectations: He started the season in the shape of his life and is now coming back into condition for 1:45 run, which he'll need to get into a semi-final" - Jim Kilty.

(Qualifying Rounds: Wed 25th/Thur 26th/Fri 27th; Final: Sun 29th)

5,000 Metres

Mark Carroll (Leevale).

Personal Best: 13:03.93 (Irish record).

Championship record: Finally made the championship breakthrough that he'd promised for years when taking the bronze medal at the European Championships in Budapest last summer. The World's will be another step up but Carroll has the experience of both Athens and Gothenberg behind him.

Ran Irish record of 7:70.36 for 3,000 metres last month. If he can repeat that form here then another medal is well within reach.

Expectations: "From the start of the year Seville has been the number one target. I'm happy with the form now and you just have to go with it."

(Qualifying Round: Wed 25th; Final: Sat 28th)

110m Hurdles

Peter Coghlan (Crusaders). Personal Best: 13.30 (Irish record).

Championship record: The Peter Coghlan of this year is a far superior athlete to the one eliminated the first round of the World Championships at his senior debut in 1997.

Expectations: "When I ran 13.47 back in June at the European Cup I was thinking of the semi-final. . . I'm convinced now that I can make the final. It will probably take 13.20 to get there but that's what I want."

(Qualifying Rounds: Mon 23rd/Tues 24th; Final: Wed 25th)

High Jump

Brendan Reilly (Belgrave). Personal Best: 2.28m (Irish record) - 1999.

Championship record: After a number of years as Britain's leading high jumper, Reilly is now in an Irish vest after declaring for the country of his mother and fathers birth. Has competed in every major championships since 1993.

Expectations: "I can handle all the pressure so if the body holds up I can make the final. Nobody's jumping particularly consistent this year and if I'm pain free then I'm definitely in the shape to jump with the best of them."

(Qualifying Round: Sat 21st; Final: Mon 23rd)

Long Jump

Ciaran McDonagh (Fr Murphy AC). Personal Best: 7.95m (Irish record) - 1999.

Championship record: At 23, this will be the first step onto the world stage for McDonagh - but certainly not the last. This summer he improved the Irish record to 7.95 metres and also jumped a wind-aided 8.05 to win the national title.

Expectations: "All my jumps have been close to the eight-metre mark and I know I have one more big one left. . . I think 8.05 will get you into the final and I'm hopeful I can produce something like that."

(Qualifying Round: Thur 26th; Final: Sat 28th)

Discus

Nicky Sweeney (Dundrum-South Dublin). Personal Best: 67.89m (Irish record) - 1998.

Championship record: Has been part of the Irish team at every major championships since 1993, but has still to recover the form which saw him placed sixth in the Stuttgart World Championships and then fourth in the European Championships in 1994. Season's best of 64.34 metres. Took his ninth national title with a throw of 59.56 metres. With his experience will always be a strong contender for the final.

(Qualifying Round: Sun 22nd; Final: Tue 24th)

Hammer

Paddy McGrath (Raheny Shamrocks). Personal Best: 77.49m (1999).

Championship record: His first visit to the Worlds, qualifying with the second best throw ever by an Irishman with his 77.49 metres back in June.

Expectations: "It is a different ball game in a championships like this and a lot depends on the day but I'm ready for a 75 metre throw at least."

(Qualifying Round: Sat 21st; Final: Sun 22nd)

Javelin

Terry McHugh (Dublin City Harriers).

Personal Best: 82.14m (Irish record) - 1994.

Championship record: Nobody has more experience on the world stage than McHugh. Since the Seoul Olympics of 1988 he's been ever-present in the Irish team at all the major championships, the only exception being the World Championships in Tokyo in 1991. His best moment came when finishing seventh in the European Championship final in 1994. Left it late to qualify for Seville, with a throw of 78.47 metres at the league finals last weekend.

Expectations: "I was getting close to accepting the fact that I would not be going. But I actually think this will be the one championships when I'm coming into a peak."

(Qualifying Round: Fri 27th; Final: Sun 29th)

50km Walk

Jeff Cassin (Finn Valley) Personal Best: 4hrs 6.33 (Irish record) - 1999.

Championship record: Represented Canada at both the Pan-American Games and World Race Walking Cup in 1995 but declared for Ireland last year. Won his first national 20km title that year but was forced to miss the European Championships through injury. Last April he broke the Irish 50km record with his four hours 6.33 minutes at an international in Mexico City.

Expectations: Has completed a month's training in Switzerland and then made an early departure for Seville, making sure he reaches the championships in top form.

(Final: Wed 25th)

4x400m RELAY

Tomas Coman (Templemore AC)

Paul McKee (Cuchulainn AC)

Eugene Farrell (DCH)

Paul McBurney (Lisburn AC)

Paul Opperman (Unattached)

Gary Ryan (Nenagh Olympic)

Best Performance: 3:13.21 (Irish record) - 1998.

Championship record: With Coman, McKee and Opperman all making their first appearance on the world stage, this is a relay team for the future. The national record will be their main target.

(Qualifying Round: Sat 28th; Final: Sun 29th)

Women

200 Metres

Ciara Sheehy (West Dublin AC)

Personal Best: 23.49 (Irish record).

Championship record: When she won the gold medal at the European Youth Olympics in 1997, Ciara Sheehy knew she was talented. When she won the national senior title last year, she let everyone else know the same. Still within the junior ranks, she broke the 21-year-old Irish senior record (21.51) with her time of 23.49 while taking the bronze medal at the European Juniors in Riga earlier this month.

Expectations: "Making Seville has just been a bonus. My target was a medal at the European Juniors and I got that, so this is the chance to experience all the pressure of a senior championships. . . Of course, if I line up beside Marion Jones then I'll probably pass out."

(Qualifying Round: Tues 24th/Wed 25th; Final: Fri 27th)

400 Metres

Karen Shinkins (Dublin City Harriers)

Personal Best: 51.07 (Irish record) - 1999.

Championship record: Burst onto the senior scene last summer when twice breaking the Irish record at the European Championships in Budapest and missing a place in the final by just one position. Still only 22, Shinkins has made further progression this year by twice lowering her best to 51.80 (the first sub-52 by an Irish women).

Expectations: "I'm going out with the same attitude of Budapest last year in that you have to be realistic about your goals. I just want to get the best I can out of each race and obviously progress as far as that takes me. I don't know how much more is there but I'd like to get under the 51 seconds at least."

(Qualifying Rounds: Sun 22nd/Mon 23rd/Tues 24th; Final: Thur 26th)

1,500 Metres

Elaine Fitzgerald (Waterford AC).

Personal Best: 4:09.12.

Championship record: Few Irish athletes have made a bigger breakthrough than Fitzgerald this season, but few have will have deserved it more. After years of knocking on the door she improved her best by 10 seconds to 4:09.12. Won national title last month to book her place in Seville.

Expectations: "You have the elite in this event but there's a lot more around the same standard and there's no reason why I can't make the semi-final. After that anything can happen."

(Qualifying Rounds: Wed 25th/Fri 27th; Final: Sun 29th)

100m/400m Hurdles

Susan Smith-Walsh (Waterford AC)

Personal Best: 13.12/54.31 (both Irish records) - 1998.

Championship record: It was the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta when Smith-Walsh first made her intentions clear when a series of Irish records took her to the semi-final. At the last World Championships in Athens she made the final. Last season saw her again lower her best to 54.31, but the European Championships ended in disappointment when she finished last in the final. This year she's been out to make amends.

Expectations: "I can't do anything about how other people are going to race. I used to be the results queen and worry about what everybody else was running but I'm just doing my own thing now. I can only control myself. A place in the final is what I want and after that I still believe anything can happen."

(Qualifying Rounds: 400m Hurdles - Sun 22nd/Mon 23rd, Final Wed 25th; 100m Hurdles - Wed 25th/Thur 26th/Fri 27th, Final Sat 28th).

20km Walk

Gillian O'sullivan (UCC)

Personal Best: 1hr 36.44 (1998).

Championship record: Although her first appearance at the World Championships, the 24-year-old Kerry teacher has plenty of international experience. Last summer she finished 23rd in the European Championships over 10km and this year took eighth place at the World Student Games in Mallorca as well as another Irish senior title over 20km.

(Final: Fri 27th)

Management: Michael Quinlan, Patsy McGonagle, Paddy Fay; Medical Team: Dr John O'Riordan, Aifric Morrisey.