Athletics Ireland have this morning announced the final team selection for the upcoming 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Japan.
A number of World and European medallists, as well as Olympians, will headline the team for the championships which take place at the Japan National Stadium from September 13th to September 21st. Amongst them are Sarah Healy (Women’s 1500m), Kate O’Connor (Women’s Heptathlon), Sarah Lavin (100mH), Nicola Tuthill (Hammer), Sophie Becker (Women’s 400m, Mixed 4x400m Relay and Women’s 4x400m Relay), and Sharlene Mawdsley (Women’s 400m, Mixed 4x400m Relay and Women’s 4x400m Relay).
Sarah Healy (UCD AC) has accumulated significant championship experience at this stage of her career, with Tokyo marking the 24-year-old’s third appearance at the World Athletics Championships. The Dubliner, who is based in Manchester training with M11 Track Club, will compete in the Women’s 1500m having won the European indoor 3000m title in March.
Healy will be joined in the 1500m by fellow Olympian Sophie O’Sullivan (Ballymore Cobh AC), and Laura Nicholson of Bandon AC who was officially confirmed as qualified based on her ranking over the weekend.
Sarah Lavin will take to the World outdoors on the back of semi-final appearances at the two previous editions in Eugene (2022) and Budapest (2023). The Emerald AC sprinter will be looking to channel all her major championship experience as she looks to progress through the rounds in one of the most high-class events in Tokyo.
Irish field events will be well represented once more with European and World Indoor medallist and World University Games champion Kate O’Connor (Dundalk St. Gerard’s AC) looking to continue her outstanding season in the Women’s Heptathlon. O’Connor improved her Irish record in the seven-discipline event to 6487 points back in July.
2024 European Mixed 4x400m relay champion Sharlene Mawdsley (Newport AC) starred at the World Athletics Relays in Guangzhou, China in May helping both the Mixed and Women’s 4x400m relay teams qualify for these championships. She has been selected for both relays, as well as the Women’s 400m alongside teammate Sophie Becker (Raheny Shamrock AC).
The Irish relay teams offer a blend of youth and experience across both the mixed and women’s 4x400m events with Rachel McCann (North Down AC), Cliodhna Manning (Kilkenny City Harriers), Michelle Duggan (UCD AC), and Jenna Breen (City of Lisburn AC) completing the lineups.
European U23 and World University Games silver medallist Nicola Tuthill (UCD AC) is also selected. The Cork native will compete in the Women’s Hammer Throw, an event where she has improved her personal best and Irish U23 record to 71.75m this summer.
Marathon runner Fionnuala McCormack (Kilcoole AC) had been previously selected in May.
Speaking at today’s team announcement, Athletics Ireland Director of High Performance, Paul McNamara said: “2025 has been an outstanding year for Irish athletes at European and global championships, and this group is set to continue that upward trajectory in Tokyo. With higher qualification standards than ever before we have 21 individual athletes selected, plus two relay squads, which is the largest team we have ever sent to a World Championships.”
McNamara continued: “It’s the first year of this Olympic cycle, and this team includes multiple athletes, both seasoned campaigners and rising stars, that are primed to make an impact as they build towards LA 2028.”
The 20th edition of the World Athletics Championships will be broadcast live on RTÉ television for the first time this century, with the nine-day event starting on September 13th.
Tokyo 2025 Selections
- Sarah Healy
Event: Women’s 1500m
Club: UCD AC
Coach: Trevor Painter & Jenny Meadows - Sophie O’Sullivan
Event: Women’s 1500m
Club: Ballymore Cobh AC
Coach: Collis Birmingham - Laura Nicholson
Event: Women’s 1500m
Club: Bandon AC
Coach: Andrea McDonough - Sarah Lavin
Event: Women’s 100m Hurdles
Club: Emerald AC
Coach: Noelle Morrissey - Sharlene Mawdsley
Events: Women’s 400m; Mixed 4x400m Relay; Women’s 4x400m Relay
Club: Newport AC
Coach: Tony Lester - Sophie Becker
Events: Women’s 400m; Mixed 4x400m Relay; Women’s 4x400m Relay
Club: Raheny Shamrock AC
Coaches: Gerard O’Donnell & Aideen Sinnott - Kate O’Connor
Event: Women’s Heptathlon
Club: Dundalk St. Gerard’s AC
Coaches: Michael O’Connor & Tom Reynolds - Nicola Tuthill
Event: Women’s Hammer Throw
Club: UCD AC
Coach: Killian Barry - Rachel McCann
Event: Mixed 4x400m Relay & Women’s 4x400m Relay
Club: North Down AC
Coach: Ian Neely - Cliodhna Manning
Event: Women’s 4x400m Relay
Club: Kilkenny City Harriers
Coach: Peter Lyons - Michelle Duggan
Event: Women’s 4x400m Relay
Club: UCD AC
Coach: Adam McMullen - Jenna Breen
Event: Women’s 4x400m Relay
Club: City of Lisburn AC
Coach: Grant Barker - Erin Friel (Non-travelling reserve)
Event: Women’s 4x400m Relay
Club: Letterkenny AC
Coach: Kathryn McDevitt - Fionnuala McCormack
Event: Women’s Marathon
Club: Kilcoole AC
Coach: Alan McCormack