2008 Indoor Track and Field Thread - Road to Valencia and Beijing

thirtyfoot

Great running by two of our up and coming underage stars in the 200 in AAA.

http://www.athleticsireland.ie/content/?p=3458#more-3458

New Irish Indoor Record for Niamh Whelan in 23.92 and Christopher Russell dipped under 22 for a 21.95, only 3/10 off the the Hesh's Junior record.

Rineanna

Well, the indoor season is hurtling at sub ten-second speed towards Valencia, and, unfortunately, it looks like the Worlds are going to be quite a low key affair for us. Could someone give me a definite answer as to whether DO'R is still competing or not? The times said today that she isn't, but there's been many conflicting reports around.

Ailis McSweeney was unlucky not to get the standard for Valencia. She was just outside the 7.37 required, with the 7.38 she ran in Sheffield, and couldn't improve on that yesterday in Ghent.

Deirdre Ryan was also unable to get her standard. She cleared 1.84m, anbd then went straight for the 1.92 qualifying mark, but missed it.

It looks like our squad is going to consist of a single athlete, James Nolan. That is if DO'R isn't competing, and I doubt, but may be wrong, that McGettigan or Cullen are going.

On a brighter note.... our future in Women's sprinting is looking bright, with Ferrybank's Niamh Whelan scorching to a new NJR of 23.92 in the 200m at the AAAs in Birmingham over the weekend. She took gold in that event, and also collected a silver in the 60m, with 7.56. Given the WIC standard is 7.37, it's an encouraging result indeed.

Together with Steffi Creaner, Joan Healy and Sarah Lavin (Gold and Silver medallist), we've got some strength in depth arriving over the next ten years, and a class 4x100m relay team too! Hurrah!

Rineanna

Tingle wrote: »

Great running by two of our up and coming underage stars in the 200 in AAA.

http://www.athleticsireland.ie/content/?p=3458#more-3458

New Irish Indoor Record for Niamh Whelan in 23.92 and Christopher Russell dipped under 22 for a 21.95, only 3/10 off the the Hesh's Junior record.

OK, sorry for duplicating your post! We both had idea to post at the same time, mine a little slower:D!

Pherekydes

Some results from Tampere tonight (Wed):

O'Rourke, 8.21 and 8.10

Hession, 6.71 and 10.36 for the 100m.

I guess O'Rourke won't be going to Valencia on the back of that.

Rineanna

Yep, Team Ireland consists of Ailis McSweeney and James Nolan so as it stands. There's no point dwelling over what could have been with O' Rourke and Gillick in the squad (or so I keep telling myself!), best of luck to the dynamic duo.

thirtyfoot

Any expectations of how Ailis and Nolan will get on?

cfitz

Tingle wrote: »

Any expectations of how Ailis and Nolan will get on?

Does anyone know what tv channels will be showing Nolan's heat live?

Rineanna

Any expectations of how Ailis and Nolan will get on?

Judging by the 2006 results, Ailis should make the semis (as she did then). She'll have to run a significant PB and National record to advance from there, so I'll stick with semis for her. I actually didn't remember that Nolan came6th last time around, which took me by suprise. I'm going to say he'll squeeze into the final. It'll be tough, though.

Does anyone know what tv channels will be showing Nolan's heat live?

I think the time difference is +1 hour there, so the race is scheduled for 8, which means eight 7pm here, so it's live on BBCi and on the BBC website, aswell as on Eurosport.

Here's the BBC schedule:

Friday 7 March
0900-1330, BBCi and BBC Sport website
1600-2000, BBCi and BBC Sport website
1930-2000 BBC TWO and BBC Sport website

Saturday 8 March
0900-1230, BBCi and BBC Sport website
1555-1950, BBCi and BBC Sport website

Sunday 9 March
0850-1130, BBCi and BBC Sport website
1455-1830, BBCi and BBC Sport website

thirtyfoot

Ailis is through in 7.43, nice one.

Rineanna

Tingle wrote: »

Ailis is through in 7.43, nice one.

Delighted for her. She had an awesome start. At least now the nerves of the early morning heats are out of the way, and she can focus on the semis with no real pressure or expectations on her shoulder. Hopefully she can challenger her PB of 7.37.

Tia Hellebaut looked stunning in the Pentathlon HJ. Pity she couldn't get the 2.02, but I'm sure she'll be happy with 1.99! It's going to be tough to catch her now. Blonska was atrocious this morning. It really makes you wonder how she can clear 1.92 in Osaka, and then fail at 1.78 indoors?! Kelly Sotherton must be satisfied with that, not that she performed too well in the HJ after a good start in the hurdles.

Common Sense

Hellebut held on to beat Sotherton by 15 points. Cracker of a men's 60 with Fasuba winning with 6.51 from Chambers (6.54) in second and Kim Collins (also 6.54) in 3rd

Women's 60m victory for Angela Williams from Britain's Jeannette Kwayke who twice broke the British record.

Common Sense

I don't know what to make of this - but I went on to the IAAF web-site to look at the photo-finish of men's 60 and I see the official results are now Collins 2nd and Chambers 3rd - both still at 6.54.

Pherekydes

Common Sense wrote: »

I don't know what to make of this - but I went on to the IAAF web-site to look at the photo-finish of men's 60 and I see the official results are now Collins 2nd and Chambers 3rd - both still at 6.54.

It has them tied for 2nd. The Brits did well with 3 silvers.

Rineanna

I'm delighted for Kwakye. She's a class sprinter, as she proved tonight, and I hope she carries this form into the summer.

Pherekydes

So, Idowu got the Brits a gold.

Robles and Kallur crashed out, but Christopher was superb in the 400m. A WR in the women's 1500m, with 4 women under 4 mins and an 800m with all six finalists producing PBs!

Strange that we only had 2 takers; I feel Gillick and Hession might have done well; maybe O'Rourke too, had she raced herself fit.

thirtyfoot

Slow coach wrote: »

Strange that we only had 2 takers; I feel Gillick and Hession might have done well; maybe O'Rourke too, had she raced herself fit.

With finals in the offing in Beijing for all three I think its wise for the two boys to keep the powder dry (Hession looked very slick in Scottish indoors) knowing that medals or top 6 could have been there and for Derv to get healthy. Great olympic performances are sometimes got by being bent over puking on a track in Feb/Mar instead of lifting off for the indoors. It can be unbelievably tempting to run indoors even when you are not planning to and shows the two boys are firmly focussed on the big prize.

Speaking of olympics, nice ad with Eileen O' Keeffe with AIB on TV at the moment.

Tomthepost

Any of the Irish in action anywhere this weekend?

Rineanna

I think the indoors is pretty much done with. However, the world masters indoors is on in France.

The outdoor season is up-and running in two categories: Walking and Throwing.

Eileen O' Keefe will fling her first competitive hammer of the year this weekend at the european winter throwing cup in Split, Croatia. Info can be found here:

http://www.split2008.com/

...and...

http://www.european-athletics.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=5676&Itemid=266.

She's up against Heidler and a few other quality throwers.

After Heffernan's superb performance in Mexico, Jamie Costin kicks off his build up to Beijing in Ibiza, of all places, this weekend. Good quality field there too.

http://www.european-athletics.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=6119&Itemid=2

Rineanna

Eileen O' Keefe opened her season with a very respectable 4th place at the European Winter throwing cup. Her best mark was 68.56m. Those in front of her included the two Germans, Heidler (World Champ) and Kathrin Klaas. The former was beaten into second by the Pole WLODARCZYk. Shock result there, methinks.

Solid early season form; I'm sure she'll be looking to break into the 70m range in the near future.

Here's her scorecard:


O'KEEFFE Eileen 81 IRL 67,88 68,44 65,15 68,56 x 67,97 68,56 SB

Edit: Just noticed there that the Pole was ranked second last going into the competition, and added 2 metres to her PB to take victory!

Tomthepost

Rineanna wrote: »

Eileen O' Keefe opened her season with a very respectable 4th place at the European Winter throwing cup. Her best mark was 68.56m. Those in front of her included the two Germans, Heidler (World Champ) and Kathrin Klaas. The former was beaten into second by the Pole WLODARCZYk. Shock result there, methinks.

Solid early season form; I'm sure she'll be looking to break into the 70m range in the near future.

Here's her scorecard:


O'KEEFFE Eileen 81 IRL 67,88 68,44 65,15 68,56 x 67,97 68,56 SB

Edit: Just noticed there that the Pole was ranked second last going into the competition, and added 2 metres to her PB to take victory!

Very consistent throwing by Eileen with no fouls! A certainty for an Olympic final minimum