European Athletics (EAA) – News – Can their under 23 men make Irish eyes smile?

Ireland has not made it to the medal podium at the SPAR Cross Country Championships since 2006, when Fionnuala Britton took the under 23 women’s silver medal, but there are hopes that not only the 2010 World Junior Championships 1500m silver medallist Ciara Mageean will end that drought but that their under 23 men’s team can also get on the podium.

Ciaran O’Lionaird, who runs for the famous Leevale club, is home from Florida State University after completing his most successful cross country season since going across the Atlantic.

His 18th place finish in the prestigious NCAA Championships not only earned him the coveted All American status but he help his college create a huge surprise when they finished second in Terre Haute, Indiana, a huge improvement on their previous best of eighth at this level.

Joining him on the Ireland team is David McCarthy, from Waterford, who is also a student in the United States.

The Providence College student did not compete in a college vest this winter, preferring to focus on racing in Albufeira this Sunday.

However, he showed he is in good shape by winning a major open 10km cross country race in Boston and then impressing everyone with a third place finish in the high quality and well-known Manchester road race, over 7.64km, on Thanksgiving Day in Connecticut, beating many better known US-based runners.

Both McCarthy and O’Lionaird know each other well after competing against each other since the age of eight. Both of them won medals at the 2005 European Youth Olympic Festival held in Lignano, Italy in 2005.

McCarthy won the 800m silver medal in the 800m while O’Lionaird took the 1500m bronze.

Also in that Youth Olympic Festival team was Brendan O’Neill, who competed in the 3,000m. He will join up again with McCarthy and O’Lionaird after taking the silver medal in the senior race at the Woodie’s DIY National Inter County Cross Country Championships in Derry two weeks ago.

Undoubted the member of the team with the most famous father, at least in athletics circles, is John Coghlan from Metro St. Brigid’s club.

The son of the near legendary ‘Chairman of the Boards’ Eamonn Coghlan ran his best race ever to finish fifth in Derry, a combined race with the under 23 runners, to also guarantee his place on the team.

Coghlan senior is best known for his exploits on the track which also included the 1983 World Championships 5000m gold medal but he was also, on occasions, a formidable cross country runner and was part of the Irish team that finished second at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships.

The under 23 men’s race in Albufeira, will be over 8170m (270m + 3 Short Laps of 500m + 4 x Long Lap 1600m), the longest in its five appearances at the Championships since it was introduced in 2006, with two small hills and a ditch on each of the long laps.

Ireland’s main rivals for medal in the under 23 men’s race look to be Great Britain, France and Spain; with Belgium and Turkey also possibly entering the equation.

European Athletics (EAA) – News