Major boost for Irish athletics

Irish athletics yesterday received confirmation that it would gain promotion to Division One of the Europa Cup competition next year. Following Ireland's enormous success in Lithuania last weekend where the team swept to 15 victories overall and two individuals, Susan Smith in 100m hurdles and Karen Shinkins in the 400m, set new Irish records, BLE, the governing body of Irish athletics, are now actively seeking to stage next summer's event at Morton Stadium, Dublin.

Promotion into Division One will put Ireland in the second stream of European athletics. A higher level of competition, the Super League contains the eight top European nations including Britain, Germany, Spain and France. Ireland's division contains two sections of equal status. It is not yet clear which other countries will be involved in Ireland's section of Division One.

It is the first time that both the men's and women's teams have competed together at this level with BLE viewing it as indicative of the current strength in Irish athletics. Last season the men's team were narrowly relegated from Division One by just half a point at a meeting in Santry, but hope now to maintain the current status.

While the Europa Cup is essentially a team event neither of Ireland's two top runners, Sonia O'Sullivan and Catherina McKiernan, were able to attend last week's meeting. Greater strength is therefore possible if Ireland can field a full-strength team.

Due to he growing cost of staging Grand Prix events around Europe, the Europa Cup also gives Ireland an opportunity to stage an international athletics meeting without the additional pressure of providing prize money and appearance fees. There is not currently the required level of sponsorship in athletics to be able to stage a Grand Prix II meeting.

O'Sullivan kicked off her 1998 track season at such a meeting in St Denis, Paris, last week where Olympic silver medallist in the 100m, Frankie Fredericks, and 400m hurdles champion Dion Hemmings were in attendance.