Athletics Ireland – News – Cork’s Marian Heffernan added to Irish Team for European Indoor Athletics Championships – Heffernan will compete in the 400m event.

Heffernan, married to Irish race walking star Rob Heffernan, has been in excellent form of late.

Marian Heffernan has competed for Ireland for the past four years and has been a prominent figure in Irish women’s 400m running over that time. At last weekend’s Woodie’s DIY Irish Indoor Championships at The Odyssey Arena in Belfast, Heffernan took the 400m title in an impressive time of 54:00, and two years ago at the European Indoor Championships in Turin, made the semi-final of the 400m event. Heffernan has also won the national outdoor 400m title on two occasions in 2008 and 2009. At the European Championships in Barcelona last August, Heffernan led the Irish Team to a national 4X400m record of 3:30:11.

Ray Flynn of Athletics Ireland said: “Marian has had a series of good performances this year indoors. She is a member of the of the 4×400m squad for the World Athletics Championships in Korea later in the year and we feel Marian will benefit greatly from the experience in Paris. We believe Marian will compete very well for Ireland in the women’s 400m event in 10 day’s time.”

 

 

Heffernan’s addition to the Irish Team for Paris brings the Team number to eight.

The Irish Team for the 31st European Athletics Indoor Championships is:

Derval O’Rourke (Leevale AC) – 60m Hurdles (SB – 8:03 – 8th fastest in Europe this year)

Ailis McSweeney (Leevale AC) – 60m (SB – 7:32 – 24th fastest in Europe this year)

Mary Cullen (North Sligo AC) – 3000m (SB – 8:53:01 – 8th fastest in Europe this year)

Tori Pena (Finn Valley AC) – Pole Vault (SB – 4m 30 – Irish Record – European top 20 this year)

Kelly Proper (Ferrybank AC) – Long Jump (SB – 6:44 – 30th best jump in Europe this year)

Brian Gregan (Clonliffe Harriers AC) – 400m (SB – 46:82 – 11th fastest in Europe this year)

Darren McBrearty (Letterkenny AC) – 800m (SB – 1:47:87 – 14th fastest in Europe this year)

Marian Heffernan (Togher AC) – 400m (SB – 54:00 – European top 30 time)

(SB = Season’s Best Time).