Ireland will perform to an expected high standard at the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Toruń, Poland this weekend with a squad that blends proven championship performers and emerging talent, carrying realistic ambitions of finals appearances and potential podium success.
The city is 200 kilometres northwest of Warsaw and a recognised Unesco World Heritage site on the banks of the River Vistula. It was the birthplace of astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus and Ireland will have some of the modern stars in action with live coverage across the weekend on Virgin Media.
The three-day event, running from Friday to Sunday, March 20th–22nd, represents one of the key global competitions of the season, and Athletics Ireland has named a strong team built around athletes who have already achieved qualifying standards.
O’Connor and English Lead the Charge
At the forefront of the Irish challenge are Kate O’Connor and Mark English, both arriving in exceptional form.
O’Connor, a world indoor and outdoor silver medallist, returns to the championships where she made history last year by winning Ireland’s first medal at the event since 2006 with pentathlon silver in Nanjing.
The 25-year-old subsequently added a World Championship heptathlon silver in Tokyo, underlining her status as one of Ireland’s leading track and field athletes, and Gold at the World University Games for Ulster University and Ireland.
Her early-season performances suggest she is well placed to contend again, having set new personal bests in the 60m hurdles (8.21) and long jump (6.50m) at the recent National Indoor Championships.
English, meanwhile, continues to redefine Irish middle-distance standards. The Donegal native has twice lowered his own national indoor 800m record this season, most notably clocking 1:44.23 at a World Indoor Tour Gold meeting in Ostrava. The five-time European medallist also broke the Irish indoor 600m record earlier this year, highlighting his speed and conditioning heading into championship racing.
Distance Duo Among World Leaders
Ireland’s strength in distance running is further reflected in the selection of Andrew Coscoran and Nick Griggs for the men’s 3000m.
Both athletes have posted world-leading times this season, ranking third and fifth globally. Coscoran’s 7:30.97 at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix in Boston and Griggs’ 7:32.79 — an Irish U23 record — position them as genuine contenders in what will be a straight 15-athlete final, scheduled for 18:22 on Saturday evening.
Sprint and Hurdles Depth
In the sprints and hurdles, Sarah Lavin brings consistency and experience to the women’s 60m hurdles. A finalist at the 2024 World Indoors in Glasgow, Lavin has already dipped under eight seconds this season (7.98) and will be targeting another deep run.
Over 60m, Bori Akinola and Lauren Roy both arrive in breakthrough form. Akinola recently broke the Irish national record with a 6.54 performance in Belgrade, while Roy has impressed on the NCAA circuit, clocking 7.19 to move joint second on the Irish all-time list.
Emerging Talent and Debuts
There is also a strong emerging element within the squad. Maeve O’Neill is set to make her senior international debut after breaking the Irish indoor 800m record with a time of 2:00.33 in Boston.
A number of additional athletes — including Ciara Neville, Emma Moore, and James Gormley — have achieved the Athletics Ireland ‘B’ standard and were added to the team last week.
Quiet Confidence Within the Camp
Athletics Ireland High Performance Director Paul McNamara described the squad as one capable of making a significant impact on the global stage.
“This is an exciting team with real prospects for medal success. Kate’s achievement in Nanjing last year has set a bar for what Irish athletes can achieve at these championships, and we travel to Poland with real intent,” he said, while also highlighting the emergence of younger athletes earning their opportunity at this level.
Ireland heads into the championships with momentum built from strong indoor performances across Europe and the United States in recent months. With O’Connor carrying genuine medal hopes and a number of athletes ranked among the world’s best in their events, expectations are quietly building.
Reaching finals will be a key benchmark across the squad, but with several athletes in career-best form, Ireland will also travel to Toruń believing more history could be made on the world stage.
Watching the Action
We will have all of the Irish action and the rest in our Sport on TV column across the weekend, highlighting all of the live coverage on Virgin Media and Eurosport.
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Image Credit: Athletics Ireland and Sportsfile
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