Westmeath duo selected for European U23 Championships
Two Westmeath athletes have been selected on the Ireland squad for the European U23 Championships to be held in Espoo, Finland, from July 13-16.
Rosemount's Aaron Keane will compete in the 4x400m relay, while Ballymore's Oisin Lane will represent Ireland in the 20km race walk.
Hailing from a renowned sporting family from Rosemount, Keane is a member of Tullamore Harriers AC and he was in action at the Junior & U23 Championships yesterday (Sunday).
Along with Ava O'Connor and Nicola Tuthill, Lane was one of the athletes who set a new championship record at the national championships in Tullamore on Sunday.
A member of Mullingar Harriers, Oisin, who is coached by his father Michael, will now hope to make an impact in Finland.
The squad chosen by Athletics Ireland includes Sarah Healy and Sophie O'Sullivan (daughter of Ireland athletics legend Sonia O'Sullivan), currently ranked first and second in Europe in this age category on the 2023 European performance list. Both have posted lifetime bests this season with Sarah posting a national U23 record and European leading time of 4:01.75 in Ostrava on June 27.
Israel Olatunde will compete in the 100m, where he holds the national senior record, and will lead a strong 4x100m squad. The full squad is listed below.
Ireland squad
Adeyemi Talabi, Longford AC, (coach: Jordan Durham), 100m
Sophie O’Sullivan, Ballymore Cobh (Maurica Powell), 1500m
Sarah Healy, UCD AC (Trevor Painter), 1500m
Jane Buckley, Leevale (Ray Treacy), 5000m
Anika Thompson, Leevale (Shalane Flanagan), 10,000m
Ava O’Connor, Tullamore Harriers (Damon Martin), 3000m steeplechase
Ruby Millet, St. Abban’s (Michael & Eoin Kelly), long jump
Nicola Tuthill, UCD AC (Killian Barry, Kevin Warner, Roland Korom), hammer
Israel Olatunde, UCD AC (Daniel Kilgallon), 100m & 4x100m
Oliver Swinney, Speed Development Project (Adam McMullen), 100m & 4x100m
Robert McDonnell, Galway City Harriers (Brendan Glynn), 100m, 200m & 4x400m
Colin Doyle, Leevale (Alan Mahoney), 200m & 4x100m
Jack Raftery, Donore Harriers (Jeremy Lyons & Ger O’Donnell), 400m & 4x400m
Callum Baird, Ballymena & Antrim (Ian Neely), 400m & 4x400m
Cian McPhillips, UCD AC (Joe Ryan), 800m
Shay McEvoy, Kilkenny City Harriers (Taylor Gulley), 5000m
Callum Morgan, Candour Track Club (Mark Kirk), 5000m
Abdel Laadjel, Donore Harriers (Ray Treacy), 10,000m
Sean McGinley, Finn Valley (John Rogan), 3000m steeplechase
James Dunne, Tullamore Harriers (Damon Martin), 3000m steeplechase
James Ezeonu, Leevale (Kurtis Brondyke), 110m hurdles
Oisin Lane, Mullingar Harriers (Michael Lane), 20km racewalking
Reece Ademola, Leevale (Liz Coomey & Alan Keane), long jump
Gabriel Kehinde, Ennis Track Club (Drew & Hayley Harrison), 4x100m
Runo Avayaro, Newbridge AC (Pat Lalor), 4x100m
Conor Morey, Leevale AC (Daniel Kilgallon), 4x100m
Nelvin Appiah, Longford AC (Dermot McDermott), 4x100m
Ciaran Carthy, DSD AC (Ed Carthy and Ruaidhri Kedney) 4x400m
Andrew Egan, Galway City Harriers (Brendan Glynn), 4x400m
Aaron Keane, Tullamore Harriers (Brendan Glynn), 4x400m
Hugo Magee, Crusaders AC (Maria Hetherington), 4x400m
Shane Coffey, Naas (Ray Treacy) 10,000m - selection subject to proof of form and fitness
Cillian Griffin, Tralee Harriers (Kevin Cogley), non-travelling reserve, 4x100m.