McCarthy leads challenge in Poland Athletics News round-up

Athletics: David McCarthy will lead the Irish hopes of success at next week's European Under-23 championships, to be staged in Bydgoszcz, Poland, from July 17th-20th.

Already a World Indoor 400 metres finalist this year, McCarthy lowered his best to 46.48 seconds when finishing runner-up in last Saturday's Cork City Sports.

The Celbridge athlete is joined in the 400 metres event by Dundrum's David Gillick, while Martina McCarthy, already with Olympic experience to her name, is entered in the women's 400 metres provided she can prove her fitness on her recent return from injury.

Kilkenny's Emily Maher is named for the 100 metres but she too is returning from injury.

Leading the women's hopes will be Derval O'Rourke in the 100 metre hurdles, who continues to edge ever closer to Susan Smith's national record of 13.12.

There should also be strong showings from Robert Connolly in the 5,000 metres, as well as both Conor Sweeney and Colm Rooney in the 1,500 metres.

Colin Griffin will carry the hopes of a medal in the 20km walk.

A week later, the European Junior Championships take place in Tampere, Finland (July 24th-27th). Joanne Cuddihy will start as one of the favourites in the 400 metres, spurred on no doubt by her father Bill Cuddihy, formerly team doctor with the Kilkenny hurling team, and who has also been selected as the Irish team doctor.

Elsewhere, Daniel Caulfield looks to have improved his chances of qualifying for the World Championships in Paris by running 1.47.03 for 800 metres in the US at the weekend, just short of the 1.47.00 B-standard.

At the same meeting in Brunswick, Maine, Keith Kelly continued his welcome return from injury by clocking a lifetime best of 4.01.77 when finishing third in the mile.

Also showing considerable improvement at the weekend was Cork's Cathal Lombard, who ran 28.05.27 for the 10,000 metres at the BMC meeting in Watford, one of the fastest times by an Irishman in recent years.

IRISH TEAM (for European Junior Championships in Tampere, Finland, July 24th-27th): Men - 200m: D Graham (Sli Chulainn); 800m: C O'Connell (Glaslough), T Chamney (Clonmel); Shot: E Leen (Tralee); Women - 400m: J Cuddihy (Kilkenny City Harriers); Pole vault: E Kinnear (Lagan Valley); 10km walk: A Loughnane (Loughrea), C McMahon (St Mary's).

MEN - 200m: P Hession (Athenry); 400m: D McCarthy (Celbridge), D Gillick (DSD); 1,500m: C Sweeney (St Malachy's), C Rooney (Clonliffe); 5,000m: R Connolly (DSD), M Kenneally (Raheny); High jump: A O'Dwyer (Kilkenny City Harriers); 20km walk C Griffin (Ballinamore).

WOMEN - 100m E Maher (Kilkenny City Harriers), A Boyle (Ballymena and Antrim); 400m: M McCarthy (DCH); 100m hurdles: D O'Rourke (UCD); 400m hurdles: M Carey (Dublin Striders); Hammer: E O'Keeffe (Kilkenny City Harriers); 4x100m relay: Maher, Boyle, O'Rourke, A McSweeney (Leevale), F O'Friel (Dublin Striders).