Four Cork Athletes on Strong Irish Squad for European Indoors - March 2021
Strong Cork Representation for European IndoorChampionships
Torún, Poland
March 5th - 7th 2021
 |  |  |  |
| Phil Healy, Bandon AC | Joan Healy, Leevale AC | Michelle Finn, Leevale AC | Darragh McElhinney, UCD AC |
Three athletes with Cork Clubs, sisters Phil Healy (Bandon AC) and Joan Healy (Leevale AC), along with Michelle Finn (Leevale AC) are joined by Glengarriff man, Darragh McElhinney, formerly with Bantry AC but now running with his college club, UCD AC
There had also been high hopes that another Leevale athlete, Louise Shanahan might have booked her place with two big 800m performances in the lead up, including a 2:01.67 run in yesterday's AAI Micro-Meet in Dublin. However it appears that the selection panel opted strictly for times, and when Siofra Cleirigh-Buttner (DSD AC) regained her Irish record at the eleventh-hour, with a 2:00.58 performance, at Round 4 of the American Track League, in Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA late last night, just before the qualification deadline window closed, the die was set.
Nevertheless, Shanahan's long-term goal has been the 2024 Paris Olympics, while she continues her Ph. D. at Cambridge University, her progress suggests that she will be in contention for a place in Paris.
Irish Squad for Torún
| Athlete | Event | Club | Coach |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leon Reid | 60m | Menapians AC | James Hillier |
| Israel Olatunde | 60m | UCD AC | Daniel Kilgallon |
| Dean Adams | 60m | Ballymena & Antrim AC | Alan Kennedy |
| Ciara Neville | 60m | Emerald AC | Noelle Morrissey |
| Joan Healy | 60m | Leevale AC | Alan Mahoney |
| Molly Scott | 60m | SLOT AC | Deirdre Scott |
| Phil Healy | 400m | Bandon AC | Shane McCormack |
| Sophie Becker | 400m | Raheny Shamrock AC | Jeremy Lyons |
| Sharlene Mawdsley | 400m | Newport AC | Gary Ryan |
| Mark English | 800m | Finn Valley AC | Feidhlim Kelly |
| Cian McPhillips | 800m | Longford AC | Joe Ryan |
| John Fitzsimons | 800m | Finn Valley AC | Joe Ryan |
| Nadia Power | 800m | Dublin City Harriers AC | Enda Fitzpatrick |
| Siofra Cleirigh Buttner | 800m | Dundrum South Dublin AC | Mark Coogan |
| Georole Hartigan | 800m | Dundrum South Dublin AC | Bev Hartigan |
| Andrew Coscoran | 1500m | Star of the Sea AC | Feidhhm Kelly |
| Paul Robinson | 1500m | St Coca's AC | Nick Bideau |
| Luke McCann | 1500m | U.C.D. AC | Clarke McCann |
| Ciara Mageean | 1500m | City of Lisburn AC | Steve Vernon |
| John Travers | 3000m | Donore Harriers | Alan McCormack |
| Sean Tobin | 3000m | Clonmel AC | Feidhlim Kelly |
| Darragh McElhinney | 3000m | U.C.D. AC | Emmett Dunieavy |
| Michelle Finn | 3000m | Leevale AC | Feidhlim Kelly |
| Sarah Lavin | 60mH | Emerald AC | Noelle Morrissey |
Paul McNamara, Athletics Ireland High Performance Director, stated:
“It has been a remarkable indoor season so far in 2021, for many reasons, and this is reflected in both the size and quality of the team travelling to Poland. Despite higher qualification standards and fewer opportunities to compete, Irish athletes nailed their opportunity when it presented itself, most notably this past weekend at the Irish Life Health Elite Micro-Meet, and we now have an unprecedented 24 athletes who have earned selection for the 2021 European Athletics Indoor Championships, with many more who have posted qualification standards missing out due to the three athletes per event limit”.
