Several international medallists including Kate O\u2019Connor (Dundalk St. Gerard\u2019s AC), Mark English (Finn Valley AC) and Rhasidat Adeleke (Tallaght AC) headline a strong Irish team for the upcoming European Athletics Championships.<\/p>\n
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All three athletes were named by Athletics Ireland today in an initial team selection for the event which takes place in Birmingham from August 10th-16th.<\/p>\n
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The announcement confirms the selection of athletes with \u2018A\u2019 standards, while athletes qualifying via ranking position and having achieved the Athletics Ireland \u2018B\u2019 Standard will be confirmed after European Athletics produces its final list of qualifiers on July 30th.<\/p>\n
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O\u2019Connor had a dream season in 2025, the highlight of which was her silver medal in the Women\u2019s Heptathlon at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo. The Dundalk woman set a national record of 6714 points to win Ireland\u2019s first medal at the championships since 2013. The 25-year-old backed that up by winning bronze in the Women\u2019s Pentathlon at this year\u2019s World Athletics Indoor Championships in Toru\u0144, Poland, setting a national record (4839 points) on her way to the bronze medal.<\/p>\n
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English has been in the shape of his life this season and looks poised to contend for a third medal at the European Athletics Championships in the Men\u2019s 800m. The Donegal man goes into the event with the fastest time in Europe this year, his 1:42.97 clocking at the London Diamond League shaved 0.4 of a second off his personal best.<\/p>\n
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Adeleke made a welcome return to Irish soil at last weekend\u2019s 123.ie National Senior Track and Field Championships needing to run 22.85 seconds to hit the 200m \u2018A\u2019 Standard for Birmingham and despite a stiff headwind managed to do so, winning gold in a championship record of 22.80. The Tallaght sprinter is also selected as part of the Women\u2019s 4x400m relay team.<\/p>\n
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There is strong strength in depth in the sprint events. Israel Olatunde (Tallaght AC) and Bori Akinola (UCD AC) are both selected in the Men\u2019s 100m. Olatunde holds the national record of 10.08, while Akinola has progressed this year lowering his best to 10.19. Sean Aigboboh (Tallaght AC) broke the national record over 200m earlier this year by running a time of 20.27 in Texas. The 20-year-old is selected to run in that event in Birmingham and also in the Men\u2019s 4x100m relay, where he will be joined by Olatunde and Akinola amongst others.<\/p>\n
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Lauren Roy (Fast Twitch AC) is the national leader for 2026 in both the 100m and 200m. She is provisionally selected in the 100m but her spot in the 200m is assured following her 22.83 run earlier this season. The Ballymena woman will also be part of an exciting Women\u2019s 4x100m relay which also features back-to-back national champion Ciara Neville (Emerald AC) who will also run in the Women\u2019s 100m should her place be confirmed by European Athletics later this week.<\/p>\n
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Sharlene Mawdsley (Newport AC) is selected in the Women\u2019s 400m and relay. The 27-year-old has been in the form of her life this season lowering her personal best to 50.06 on her Diamond League debut in Paris in June. The Tipperary sprinter pulled up during the Women\u2019s 200m final at the National Championships and her participation in Birmingham will be dependent on full fitness.<\/p>\n
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Sprint hurdler Sarah Lavin (Emerald AC) won her 20th national senior title last weekend and will compete in the Women\u2019s 100m Hurdles once again at the European Athletics Championships, an event in which she was fifth in back in 2022.<\/p>\n
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Cian McPhillips (UCD AC) joins Mark English in the Men\u2019s 800m. The Longford native is finding form at the right time of the season, his 1:43.97 run at the London Diamond League recently was his third fastest time ever. McPhillips finished fourth at the World Athletics Championships last year in a huge national record of 1:42.15 and will look to go one step further and claim a podium place at these championships.<\/p>\n
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Fellow national record holder Andrew Coscoran (Star of the Sea AC) made the world final in the Men\u2019s 1500m last year and looked superb in claiming victory in that event at Nationals. The Manchester based athlete is selected for the event in Birmingham and will hope for a strong performance.<\/p>\n
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European indoor 3000m champion Sarah Healy (UCD AC) is set to double up in the Women\u2019s 1500m and 5000m. The 25-year-old has set personal bests over 3000m (8:25.63) and 5000m (14:48.88) this summer and with a dangerous kick could pose a significant threat in the twelve and a half lap event. Healy is joined in the 1500m by Sophie O\u2019Sullivan (Ballymore Cobh AC) who stormed to her second national senior title last weekend at Morton Stadium last weekend in an impressive season\u2019s best.<\/p>\n
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Darragh McElhinney (Bantry AC) and Nick Griggs (Candour Track Club) are assured of their spots in the Men\u2019s 5000m. Brian Fay (Raheny Shamrock AC) will join them should his place be confirmed once the final \u2018Road to Birmingham\u2019 rankings update.<\/p>\n
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Five-time Olympian Fionnuala McCormack (Kilcoole AC) goes in the Women\u2019s Marathon, while there will be an Irish men\u2019s team for the event as national champion David McGlynn (Waterford AC) will be joined by Ryan Creech (Leevale AC) and Paul O\u2019Donnell (Dundrum South Dublin AC).<\/p>\n
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Nicola Tuthill (UCD AC) leads the charge for Team Ireland in the field events. The world finalist competes in the Women\u2019s Hammer Throw, where she has continued to close in on the national record this year. The 22-year-old has a personal best of 72.73m set in Poznan, Poland this summer.<\/p>\n
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Ireland\u2019s rich tradition of race walking looks set to continue in Birmingham with David Kenny (Farranfore Maine Valley AC) and Oisin Lane (Mullingar Harriers) both likely to compete in the Men\u2019s Half Marathon Race Walk.<\/p>\n
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Commenting on the team announcement Athletics Ireland High-Performance Director, Paul McNamara, said:<\/p>\n
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\u201cWe are excited about the prospects for this cohort of athletes at what is essentially a local championship for athletes and supporters. The team includes many seasoned performers who have delivered medals at the highest level, and many others who are hungry to replicate that success. With a probable final team size of approximately 50 athletes, and no fewer than 20 athletes who have achieved A standards, this will be a week of non-stop action as Irish athletics continues to build on its upward trajectory.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Team Selection \u2013 2026 European Athletics Championships<\/p>\n
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Confirmed Selections \u2013 The following athletes have been confirmed as selected\u00a0in individual events\u00a0having achieved an automatic qualification standard:<\/p>\n
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Name\u00a0Event(s)\u00a0Club\u00a0Coach(es)\u00a0Cian McPhillips\u00a0800m\u00a0UCD AC\u00a0Joe Ryan\u00a0Kate O\u2019Connor\u00a0Heptathlon\u00a0Dundalk St. Gerard\u2019s AC\u00a0Michael O\u2019Connor, Tom Reynolds, David Sweeney\u00a0Sarah Healy\u00a01500m & 5000m\u00a0UCD AC\u00a0Trevor Painter & Jenny Meadows\u00a0Mark English\u00a0800m\u00a0Finn Valley AC\u00a0Justin Rinaldi\u00a0Israel Olatunde\u00a0100m\u00a0Tallaght AC\u00a0Lance Brauman\u00a0Sean Aigboboh\u00a0200m\u00a0Tallaght AC\u00a0Carl Lewis\u00a0Sharlene Mawdsley\u00a0400m\u00a0\u00a0Newport AC\u00a0Tony Lester\u00a0Nicola Tuthill\u00a0Hammer\u00a0ThrowUCD AC\u00a0Killian Barry\u00a0Darragh McElhinney\u00a05000m\u00a0Bantry AC\u00a0Emmett Dunleavy\u00a0Nick Griggs\u00a05000m\u00a0Candour Track ClubMark Kirk\u00a0Andrew Coscoran\u00a01500m\u00a0\u00a0Star of the Sea AC\u00a0Rhasidat\u00a0Adeleke\u00a0200m\u00a0Tallaght AC\u00a0Edrick Floreal\u00a0Lauren Roy\u00a0200m\u00a0Fast Twitch AC\u00a0Kevin Schexnayder\u00a0David Kenny\u00a0Half Marathon Race Walk\u00a0Farranfore\u00a0Maine Valley AC\u00a0Jamie Costin\u00a0Sophie O\u2019Sullivan\u00a01500m\u00a0Ballymore Cobh AC\u00a0Collis Birmingham\u00a0Jack O\u2019Leary\u00a010,000m\u00a0Mullingar Harriers\u00a0Emmett Dunleavy\u00a0Oisin Lane\u00a0Marathon Race Walk\u00a0Mullingar Harriers\u00a0Michael Lane\u00a0Fionnuala McCormack\u00a0Marathon\u00a0Kilcoole\u00a0AC\u00a0Alan McCormack\u00a0Sarah Lavin\u00a0100m Hurdles\u00a0Emerald AC\u00a0Paul O\u2019Donnell\u00a0Marathon\u00a0Dundrum South Dublin AC\u00a0Donal Hennigan\u00a0<\/p>\n
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The following relay panels have qualified and been selected.\u00a0Athletes selected to a relay panel do not require a B standard\u00a0where\u00a0qualifying by rank in an individual event:<\/p>\n
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Israel OlatundeMen\u2019s 4x100m RelayTallaght ACLance BraumanSean AigbobohMen\u2019s 4x100m RelayTallaght ACCarl LewisBori AkinolaMen\u2019s 4x100m RelayUCD ACAdam McMullenMarcus LawlerMen\u2019s 4x100m RelayClonliffe HarriersPatricia LawlerRyan MulhollandMen\u2019s 4x100m RelayTallaght ACCarl LewisLucas FaddenMen\u2019s 4x100m RelayGalway City HarriersBrendan GlynnDubem AmahMen\u2019s 4x100m Relay non-travelling reserveTallaght ACKerron StewartMark SmythMen\u2019s 4x100m Relay non-travelling reserveRaheny Shamrock ACKay BannonCiara NevilleWomen\u2019s 4x100m RelayEmerald ACNoelle MorrisseyLauren RoyWomen\u2019s 4x100m RelayFast Twitch ACKevin SchexnayderLucy-May SleemanWomen\u2019s 4x100m RelayLeevale ACMatt KaneSarah LeahyWomen\u2019s 4x100m RelayKillarney Valley ACDaniel KilgallonMollie O\u2019ReillyWomen\u2019s 4x100m RelayDundrum South Dublin ACDaniel KilgallonMolly ScottWomen\u2019s 4x100m RelaySt. Laurence O\u2019Toole ACDeirdre ScottKatie BerginWomen\u2019s 4x100m Relay non-travelling reserveMoyne ACAlan MahoneyJack RafteryMen\u2019s 4x400m RelayDonore HarriersGerard O\u2019Donnell and Aideen SinnottAndrew EganMen\u2019s 4x400m RelayGalway City HarriersFlavio ZbergSean DoggettMen\u2019s 4x400m RelayAthenry ACStephen DoggettJoe DoodyMen\u2019s 4x400m RelayUCD ACDominic MunnellyCiaran CarthyMen\u2019s 4x400m RelayDundrum South Dublin ACGerard O\u2019Donnell and Aideen SinnottDarragh MurphyMen\u2019s 4x400m RelayUCD ACAdam McMullenAlex CullenMen\u2019s 4x400m Relay non-travelling reserveKilkenny City HarriersNicola Barron, May Hunt and Alan MahoneyFintan DewhirstMen\u2019s 4x400m Relay non-travelling reserveT\u00edr Chonaill ACDrew and Hayley HarrisonRhasidat AdelekeWomen\u2019s 4x400m RelayTallaght ACEdrick FlorealSharlene MawdsleyWomen\u2019s 4x400m RelayNewport ACTony LesterSophie BeckerWomen\u2019s 4x400m RelayRaheny Shamrock ACGerard O\u2019Donnell and Aideen SinnottRachel McCannWomen\u2019s 4x400m RelayNorth Down ACIan NeelyCliodhna ManningWomen\u2019s 4x400m RelayKilkenny City HarriersPeter LyonsArlene CrossanWomen\u2019s 4x400m RelayFinn Valley ACShauna CarlinMichelle DugganWomen\u2019s 4x400m Relay non-travelling reserveUCD ACAdam McMullenJenna BreenWomen\u2019s 4x400m Relay non-travelling reserveCity of Lisburn ACJohn Davis<\/p>\n
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Provisional Selections \u2013 The following athletes have achieved a \u2018B\u2019 standard during the respective qualification period,\u00a0have met all other conditions in\u00a0selection\u00a0policy,\u00a0and\u00a0will be confirmed\u00a0as \u2018Selected\u2019\u00a0should they be allocated a quota place by\u00a0European\u00a0Athletics in the final \u2018Road to\u00a0Birmingham\u2019\u00a0list, expected to be published\u00a0by European Athletics\u00a0on\u00a0Thursday July 30th:<\/p>\n
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Ryan Creech\u00a0Marathon\u00a0Leevale\u00a0AC\u00a0Donie Walsh\u00a0Bori Akinola\u00a0100m\u00a0UCD AC\u00a0Adam McMullen\u00a0Marcus Lawler200mClonliffe\u00a0HarriersPatricia LawlerDavid McGlynn\u00a0Marathon\u00a0Waterford AC\u00a0Ray Treacy\u00a0Eric Favors\u00a0Shot Put\u00a0Raheny\u00a0Shamrock ACDane Miller\u00a0Oisin Lane\u00a0Half Marathon Race Walk\u00a0Mullingar Harriers\u00a0Michael Lane\u00a0Brian Fay\u00a05000m\u00a0Raheny\u00a0Shamrock AC\u00a0Nic Bideau\u00a0Cathal Doyle\u00a01500m\u00a0Clonliffe\u00a0Harriers\u00a0\u00a0Jon Bigg\u00a0\u00a0Abbie Sheridan\u00a03000m Steeplechase\u00a0St Peter\u2019s AC\u00a0Simon Allen\u00a0Lauren Roy\u00a0100m\u00a0Fast Twitch AC\u00a0Kevin Schexnayder\u00a0Jack Raftery\u00a0400m\u00a0Donore\u00a0Harriers\u00a0Ger O\u2019Donnell and Aideen Sinnott\u00a0Ciara Neville\u00a0100m\u00a0Emerald AC\u00a0Noelle Morrissey\u00a0Emma Moore\u00a0800m\u00a0Galway City Harriers\u00a0\u00a0Joe Ryan\u00a0\u00a0Jodie McCann\u00a01500m\u00a0Dublin City Harriers\u00a0Clark McCann\u00a0Niamh Allen\u00a010,000m\u00a0Leevale\u00a0AC\u00a0Donie Walsh\u00a0Cillian Kirwan\u00a0800m\u00a0Raheny\u00a0Shamrock ACSimon Devenney\u00a0Fiona Everard\u00a010,000m\u00a0Bandon AC\u00a0Mark Kenneally\u00a0Cormac Dalton\u00a010,000m\u00a0Mullingar Harriers AC\u00a0Joe Ryan\u00a0Lucy-May Sleeman\u00a0100m\u00a0Leevale\u00a0AC\u00a0Matt Kane\u00a0Alex O\u2019Neill\u00a0800m\u00a0Limerick Track Club\u00a0Matthew Yates\u00a0Elizabeth Ndudi\u00a0Long Jump\u00a0Dundrum South Dublin AC\u00a0Julien Guilard\u00a0Ryan Mulholland\u00a0200m\u00a0Tallaght AC\u00a0Carl Lewis\u00a0Anna McCauley\u00a0Heptathlon\u00a0City of Lisburn AC\u00a0Maureen McCauley & Adam McMullen\u00a0Anika Thompson\u00a010,000m\u00a0Leevale\u00a0AC\u00a0Ken Nason\u00a0Shay McEvoy\u00a010,000m\u00a0Kilkenny City Harriers\u00a0Taylor Gulley\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
Birmingham 2026 website is HERE<\/a>Birmingham 2026 timetable is HERE<\/a>\u2018Road to Birmingham\u2019 is HERE<\/a>Athletics Ireland selection policy for the European Athletics Championships is HERE<\/a>A further announcement will follow on Thursday July 30th once final team is confirmed.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n This was updated @ 4:00pm on 28.07.2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Several international medallists including Kate O\u2019Connor (Dundalk St. Gerard\u2019s AC), Mark English (Finn Valley AC) and Rhasidat Adeleke…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":576325,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[61,60,43],"class_list":["post-576324","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-ireland","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/576324","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=576324"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/576324\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/576325"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=576324"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=576324"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=576324"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}