The Irish Athletics Championships, which also celebrates its 150th birthday, will take place this upcoming weekend where numerous Irish stars will compete at Morton Stadium in Santry.
In a statement posted by her manager, Ciara Mageean has withdrawn from this weekend’s nationals as a “precautionary measure as she had a niggle” after her Irish mile record in Monaco last week. The women’s 1500m will still be a nail-biting race as Sophie O’Sullivan and Sarah Healy, who recently earned 1-2 at the European u23 Championships, will race.
Two female sprinters will take centre stage on the opening day tomorrow, headlining the nationals and their respective events – Rhasidat Adeleke and Sarah Lavin.
After developing a niggle following her Irish mile record in Monaco, Ciara Mageean has withdrawn from this weekend's nationals as a precautionary measure.
Two other women will take centre stage on tomorrow's opening day – Rhasidat Adeleke and Sarah Lavin https://t.co/LBiNeW9eNY
— Cathal Dennehy (@Cathal_Dennehy) July 28, 2023
Dubliner Adeleke, who recently announced that she would forgo the remainder of her NCAA eligibility to become a professional athlete, will be running in the 200m heats at 1pm tomorrow, with the final at 2.55pm.
When speaking about the nationals weekend, she told the Irish Examiner: “There are a load of athletes competing at a really good level, collectively we’re all creating a buzz. Ciara (Mageean), Andrew (Coscoran), Sarah Healy, Sophie (O’Sullivan), Sarah Lavin, Israel (Olatunde) – everyone is doing so well. I feel like we’re all bringing more attention to athletics.”
Limerick sprinter Sarah Lavin, who has also secured her spot in the 100m hurdles at the Paris Olympics 2024, will race the 100m hurdles final at 2.30pm tomorrow and 100m flat on Sunday. The Limerick sprinter is aiming to win her eighth national outdoor title.
All the action live on Athletics Ireland’s YouTube channel, with Sunday’s events live on RTÉ 2 from 6pm.