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Irish Team and Schedule for World Championships 2017

Three Cork Athletes in Irish Team Set for World Championships

London

Friday August 4th - Sunday August 13th 2017

Claire McCarthy Charleville Half Photo Leevale AC s Alex Wright Cork City Sports Athlete of the Month January 2017 Rob Heffernan Cork City Sports Athlete of the Month August 2016 min
     


Three Cork Athletes, Claire Gibbons-McCarthy, Alex Wright and Rob Heffernan represent Ireland at the IAAF World Championships, which begin in London today. Claire is first of the trio in action, running in the Womens marathon on Sunday afternoon, while Alex and Rob do not take to the stage until Sunday week, when they compete in the 20k and 50k Race Walks

 


London Calling - Feidhlim Kelly

The Irish team are set to compete in what promises to be exciting IAAF World Championships in London over the next ten days, from today, Friday August 4th to Sunday August 13th.

Action gets underway tonight, with Ciara Mageean (UCD) kicking off Irish interest in a highly-competitive women’s 1500m.  Eleven Irish athletes will compete in the Championships, however Paul Pollock (Annadale Striders) has withdrawn due to injury.  

This essentially begins the next Olympic cycle, after a successful Games in Rio last summer, where Thomas Barr (Ferrybank) was the standout performer with a fourth place finish, in the 400m hurdles. The Waterford star returns once more, and will look to put aside a slightly hampered build-up.

The race walkers have flown the flag with distinction for well over a decade, and Robert Heffernan (Togher) has been the flag bearer with many memorable performances. This may be his swansong event in an Irish vest, and he would dearly love to sign out with a podium finish.

Experience will also be key for this Irish team – none more so than Siofra Cleirigh Buttner (DSD) who achieved selection through the IAAF quota system. This will be the 22-year-old’s first global Championship, in what will hopefully be a long career.

Interestingly this will also be Ciara Mageean’s (UCD) first World Championship, while Mark English (UCD) competes in his third World Championships.



Irish Athlete's Bios

AthleteClubEvent Coach
Ciara Mageean UCD 1500m 04:01.5 Jerry Kiernan
Ciara Mageean announced herself as a hot prospect for the future when she won a silver medal over 1500m at the World Junior Athletics Championships in Moncton, Canada in 2010. The UCD physiotherapy graduate has shown flashes of brilliance since winning bronze at the European outdoors in Amsterdam last summer. This is her first world championships.    
         
Brian Gregan Clonliffe Harriers 400m 45.26 John Shields
Brian Gregan is an experienced campaigner and goes into his second world championships on a big win streak and a new personal best of 45.26. He'll be aiming to run a new personal best in London.    
         
Thomas Barr Ferrybank Event: 400m Hurdles 47.97 Hayley and Drew Harrison
Thomas Barr is no stranger to interrupted preparation for a major championship and this year isn't any different to his magnificent fourth place finish at the Olympics in Rio. Barr has overcome some niggling injuries and will hope to cause another surprise in London.    
         
Mark English UCD 800m 01:44.8 Steve Magness
Mark English competes in his third world championships and will be hoping to at least match his semi-final berth in Beijing in 2015. The UCD athlete signed off his preparations winning the national title.    
         
Claire McCarthy Leevale Marathon 02:38:00 Donie Walsh
This will be Claire McCarthy's first global championships and the mother of four will be hoping to come close to her best of 2:38:00.    
         
Sean Hehir Rathfarnham WSAF Marathon 02:16:18 Coach: Dick Hooper
Sean Hehir ran a personal best of 2:16:18 in London in April to qualify for the championships so the streets will be no stranger to the primary school teacher. He will bid for another strong showing.    
         
Mick Clohisey Raheny Shamrock Marathon 02:15:11 Dick Hooper
Mick Clohisey has been one of Ireland's leading road runners the past number of seasons and he will hope to put in a performance to reflect his ability.    
         
Siofra Cleirigh Buttner DSD 800m 02:02.0 Gina Procaccio
This will be Siofra Cleirigh Buttner's first global championships where experience will be key to her development. The DSD athlete garnered selection on the IAAF roll-down quota system and she will maximise the experience.    
         
Alex Wright Leevale 20km Race Walk 01:21:17 Pacquillo Fernandez
Alex Wright has been in excellent form this season and he will be looking to mint that with a good showing in London to round out a brilliant 2017.    
         
Brendan Boyce Finn Valley 50km Race Walk 03:48:55 Robert Heffernan
Brendan Boyce was 19th in Rio last year and will be aspiring for another top 20 performance. He narrowly missed out on individual bronze at the European Cup in May but it underlined his good form.    
         
Robert Heffernan Togher 50km Race Walk Personal Best: Self
Robert Heffernan has done it all winning major medals at every championship. No one will forget his magnificent gold in Moscow and he will be looking to out in style in London in what looks like being his swansong in an Irish vest.   

 

Irish Athletes World Championship Schedule

Day 1 August 4 Friday

TimeCatEventStageAthleteEvent previewHeat Draw
19:35 W 1500 Metres Heats Ciara Mageean (UCD) Preview Heat Draw

 

Day 2 August 5 Saturday

TimeCatEventStageAthleteEvent PreviewHeat Draw
10:45 M 400 Metres Heats Brian Gregan (Clonliffe Harriers) Preview Heat Draw
12:45 M 800 Metres Heats Mark English (UCD) Preview Heat Draw
19:35 W 1500 Metres Semi-Final Ciara Mageean (UCD) Preview  

 

Day 3 August 6 Sunday

TimeCatEventStageAthleteAthleteEvent PreviewHeat Draw
10:55 M Marathon Final Mick Clohisey (Raheny Shamrock) Sean Hehir (Rathfarnham WSAF) Preview  
11:05 M 400 Metres Hurdles Heats Thomas Barr (Ferrybank)   Preview Heat Draw
14:00 W Marathon Final Claire Gibbons McCarthy (Leevale)   Preview  
19:40 M 400 Metres Semi-Final Brian Gregan (Clonliffe Harriers)   Preview  
21:15 M 800 Metres Semi-Final Mark English (UCD)   Preview  

 

Day 4 August 7 Monday

TimeCatEventStageAthleteEvent preview
20:20 M 400 Metres Hurdles Semi-Final Thomas Barr (Ferrybank) Preview
21:50 W 1500 Metres Final Ciara Mageean (UCD) Preview

 

Day 5 August 8 Tuesday 

TimeCatEventStageAthleteAthleteEvent Preview
21:35 M 800 Metres Final Mark English (UCD) Preview
21:52 M 400 Metres Final Brian Gregan (Clonliffe Harriers) Preview

 

Day 6 August 9 Wednesday

TimeCatEventStageAthleteEvent Preview
21:30 M 400 Metres Hurdles Final Thomas Barr (Ferrybank) Preview

 

Day 7 August 10 Thursday

TimeCatEventStageAthleteEvent PreviewHeat Draw
19:25 W 800 Metres Heats - Siofra Cleirigh-Buttner (DSD) Preview Heat Draw

 

Day 8 August 11 Friday

TimeCatEventStageAthleteEvent Preview
19:35 W 800 Metres Semi-Final - Siofra Cleirigh-Buttner (DSD) Preview

 

Day 10 August 12 Sunday

TimeCatEventStageAthleteAthleteEvent Preview
07:45 M 50 Kilometres Race Walk Final Robert Heffernan (Togher) Brendan Boyce (Finn Valley) Preview
14:20 M 20 Kilometres Race Walk Final Alex Wright (Leevale)   Preview
20:10 W 800 Metre Final Siofra Cleirigh-Buttner (DSD)   Preview

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