Sonia to compete in AIT 5k in aid of local Hospice

Sonia O'Sullivan, Ireland's most successful athlete of all time, will be at Athlone Institute of Technology on Thursday, 7th June, to take part in the fourth annual AIT AC/South Westmeath Hospice 5k Run. Registration takes place on the night and will start from 5.15pm and finish at 6.30pm in the Engineering Building of AIT. Race start time is 7pm sharp. The entry fee this year is €10 and all proceeds again go to the South Westmeath Hospice. The event will be timed and all participants will be able to access their results the following day. So if you are a serious athlete or just a recreational jogger, drop into the Institute and try to beat your 5k PB and run alongside one of the true legends of Irish sport. By entering the event you will also be helping to financially support the South Westmeath Hospice. Noel Kelly of Tullamore Harriers AC was the men's race winner in 2011 while Eva Grace was the winner of the women's race. There will be prizes for the first three athletes in both the women's and men's races. "The appearance of Sonia will be a big boost to the race, we could not have attracted a bigger name in Irish athletics to help profile our event," said Gordon Brett, Athlone IT Sport & Recreation Manager. Sonia is a former World and European champion from the track and cross country while she also won an Olympic Silver medal in Sydney 2000. Athlone Institute of Technology will be conferring the award of Distinguished Fellow on Sonia O'Sullivan on the day following the 5k race. Others to be conferred will be paracylcing world champion Eamon Coghlan, Barry McGuigan and paracylcing world champion Mark Rohan. Gold for Rohan in Rome The first round of the 2012 UCI Paracycling World Cup took place last weekend in Rome, and Mark Rohan claimed gold in the time trial event The competition opened with 280 riders from 35 countries competing. First up was the time trial events with Ballinahown's Rohan beating Israeli Koby Lion into second place by 1.91 seconds over the 14.1 kilometre course to take the gold medal in a time of 26 minutes 17.89 seconds. This is a dream start to the season for Rohan who is the current holder of the UCI World Cup, having created paracycling history in 2011 by being the first person to win gold in all six competitions leading up to the World Cup in Canada. There are a further two competitions to be held in the World Cup competition; next up is Spain in June and Canada in August, prior to the London Paralympics in September. Rohan has already qualified to represent Ireland in the Paralympics. Meanwhile, local boxer Joe Ward could know his Olympic Games fate by Sunday or early Monday. The Olympic Tripartite Commission are due to meet on Sunday to discuss their Olympic wildcard entries, and Ward is among several athletes awaiting news of the meeting. A decision on the identities of the Tripartite wildcards is hoped to be known by Monday morning. Ward was denied automatic qualification to the Olympics when defeated by a Turkish boxer, in Turkey, on a controversial points decision at the final European Olympic qualifying tournament in April. Sources close to the IABA remain hopeful Ward could receive a wildcard; however, the chances of same occurring actually appear fairly slim, especially with so many Irish boxers having already qualified for the Olympics.