ATHLETICS: Ian O'Riordan profiles the Irish team heading for the European Championships in Munich next week.
Men, 100 metres/John McAdorey
Club: Ballymena and Antrim
Age: 27; Personal best: 10.45; Season best: 10.45; Championship experience: Sydney Olympian in the 4x100m relay, makes first major appearance in the individual sprint. Looking to get beyond first round.
200 metres/Paul Brizzel
Club: Ballymena and Antrim
Age: 26; Personal best: 20.54 (Irish record); Season best: 20.72; Championship experience: Has competed at European and Olympic level; Irish record holder at both 100/200 metres. Potential semi-finalist.
Gary Ryan
Club: Nenagh Olympic
Age: 30; Personal best: 20.67; Season best: 20.99; Championship experience: Atlanta and Sydney Olympian, reached semi-final of Europeans in Budapest in 1998. Took recent National 100 metre title but not in the form of four years ago.
Paul Hession
Club: Athenry
Age: 19; Personal best: 21.03; Season best: 21.03; Championship experience: First senior appearance; qualified for Munich with 21.03 PB at World Junior Championships in Jamaica. One for the future.
400 metres/Paul McKee
Club: Beechmount Harriers
Age: 24; Personal best: 45.58 (Irish record); Season best: 45.58; Championship experience: Ranked seven in Europe, has made huge progress this season. Failing to make the final would be a disappointment.
Rob Daly
Club: Dundrum South-Dublin
Age: 24; Personal best: 46.07; Season best: 46.20; Championship experience: Making first major individual appearance. Runner-up in last two national championships, can make it beyond first round.
David McCarthy
Club: Celbridge
Age: 19; Personal best: 46.77 (Irish junior record); Season best: 46.77; Championship experience: Another senior debutant, qualified for Munich with 46.77 run at last month's World Junior Championships, taking him to the final.
1,500 metres/James Nolan
Club: UCD AC
Age: 25; Personal best: 3:36.30; Season best: 3:38.69 (Indoors); Championship experience: Vastly experienced at World, Olympic and European level but yet to make true breakthrough. Form has dipped this season but still has the talent to make the final.
5,000 metres/Mark Carroll
Club: Leevale
Age: 30; Personal best: 13:03.93 (Irish record); Season best: 13:43.68; Championship experience: Competed at highest level for most of the last decade, and bronze medallist from Europeans in 1998. Injured over the winter and form has suffered but can still make an impact in a slow and tactical final.
10,000 metres/Seamus Power
Club: Kilmurray/Ibrickane
Age: 31; Personal best: 28:18.38; Season best: 29:37.92; Championship experience: Multiple appearances at World Cross-Country, finally makes major track debut. Qualifying time from last year and has yet to hit top form but always courageous and at his best may make top 10 in what is a straight final.
110m hurdles/Peter Coghlan
Club: Crusaders
Age: 27; Personal best: 13.30 (Irish record); Season best: 13.52; Championship experience: World, Olympic and European appearances since 1998 but has struggled to regain form of 1999 when he ran 13.30 and reached World Championship semi-final in Seville. Ranked ninth in Europe and will definitely be thinking of making the final.
4x100m relay/John McAdorey, Paul Brizzel, Gary Ryan, Mark Howard (Fingallians)
Championship experience: First ever relay team at European level, an outside chance of making the final.
4x400m relay/Paul McKee, Rob Daly, Gary Ryan, David McCarthy (Celbridge), Antoine Burke (Dublin City Harriers)
Championship experience: Also the first relay squad at the Europeans. Capable of making the final with Paul McKee and Rob Daly the two leaders.
Javelin/Terry McHugh
Club: Dublin City Harriers
Age: 37; Personal best: 82.75 (Irish record); Season best: 78.67; Championship experience: Four-time Olympian, now heading into his fourth European Championships. Was sixth in European final of 1994 but time seems to have caught up with him. Doubts remain over his ability to perform at his best.
20km walk/Robert Heffernan
Club: Togher AC
Age: 24; Personal best: 1:20.25 (Irish record); Season best: 1:20.25; Championship experience: Now three-time Irish champion, has experience of Sydney Olympics and finished 14th in Edmonton World Championships. Ranked seventh in Europe and in the form of his life, will be thinking of a medal.
20km/50km walk/Jamie Costin
Club: West Waterford
Age: 25; Personal best: 1:22.45/3:59.02 (Irish record); Season best: 1:22.45/4:06.21; Championship experience: Sydney Olympian in longer event, and first Irishman under four hours. Another period of intense preparation should bring him close to his best in event traditionally dominated by Europeans.
Women
100/200 metres/Ciara Sheehy
Club: Dublin City Harriers
Age:22; Personal best: 11.57/23.21; Season best: 11.57/23.21; Championship experience: First major individual championships, though relay experience at the Sydney Olympics. European junior bronze medallist in 1999 and has improved steadily since. Capable of progressing beyond first round.
200 metres/Sarah Reilly
Club: Birchfield Harriers
Age: 29; Personal best: 23.02 (Irish record); Season best: 23.30 (Indoors); Championship experience: Declared for Ireland two years back after marrying high jumper Brendan Reilly. Made semi-final in Edmonton World Championships and capable of similar feat.
200/400 metres/Karen Shinkins
Club: Dublin City Harriers
Age: 25; Personal best: 23.60/51.07 (Irish record); Season best: 51.48; Championship experience: World, Olympic and European appearances. Major breakthrough in indoors last February with bronze medal at European Championships in Vienna, and will be thinking of at least a place in the final.
800 metres/Adrienne McIvor
Club: Dublin City Harriers
Age: 22; Personal best: 2:02.28; Season best: 2:02.28; Championship experience: A late call up to the Irish team in what will be her first major appearance. Has made swift improvement this year.
1,500 metres/Geraldine Hendricken
Club: St Laurence O'Toole
Age: 32; Personal best: 4:03.18; Season best: 4:03.18; Championship experience: Competed at the Europeans in 1994. Achieved notable success in US college competitions and despite the long absence won't be short of experience. Potential medallist.
Maria Lynch
Club: Dundrum South-Dublin
Age: 24; Personal best: 4:10.65; Season best: 4:10.65; Championship experience: Big improvement this season and makes first major championships. Silver medallist at European Youth Olympics.
5,000 metres/Una English
Club: Dublin City Harriers
Age: 30; Personal best: 15:19.12; Season best: 15:34.25; Championship experience: Part of bronze medal winning team at World Cross Country in 1997, and was 14th in last European Championships. Ran a lifetime best last season to qualify for World Championships in Edmonton and could make top 10.
Maria McCambridge
Club: Dundrum South-Dublin
Age: 27; Personal best: 15:18.78; Season best: 15:39:01; Championship experience: Baptism of fire on the track at last year's World Championships in Edmonton but then part of bronze medal win at World Cross Country in Dublin in March. Still learning the ropes on the track.
5,000/10,000 metres/Sonia O'Sullivan
Club: Ballymore/Cobh
Age: 32; Personal best: 14:41.02/30:53.37; Season best: 15:18.07/31:33.19; Championship experience: Attempting to repeat the 5,000-10,000 double of Budapest in 1998 but facing a formidable opponent in Paula Radcliffe, who is concentrating on the longer race but also contemplating a double.
10,000 metres/Marie McMahon-Davenport
Club: Marian AC
Age: 27; Personal best: 31:59.29; Season best: 31:59.29; Championship experience: Best remembered for the Atlanta Olympics where she had an unfortunate run-in with the drug testing because of a cough medicine. Recent national 1,500 metre title gives her the confidence for a possible top-12 finish.
Anne Keenan-Buckley
Club: North Laois AC
Age: 40; Personal best: 32:18.03; Season best: 32:18.03; Championship experience: First major race on the track since the 1988 Seoul Olympics. But her remarkable return to form at the age of 40, including a 10th place finish at the World Cross Country in Dublin, has her capable of mixing it with the best Europeans.
100m hurdles/Derval O'Rourke
Club: UCD AC
Age: 21; Personal best: 13:38; Season best: 13:38; Championship experience: Irish champion for the last two years, and gained her first experience at the European Indoors in Vienna earlier this year. Clearly on a learning curve for the future.
Hammer/Eileen O'Keeffe
Club: Kilkenny City Harriers
Age: 21; Personal best: 61.10 (Irish record); Season best: 61.10; Championship experience: Also the first time on the major stage, and youngest women's team member (by three days) over Derval O'Rourke. Her recent Irish title and record could give the necessary confidence to make the final.
20km walk/Gillian O'Sullivan
Club: Farranfore Maine Valley AC
Age: 26; Personal best: 1:29.12 (Irish record) Season best: 1:29.12; Championship experience: Since her 10th place at the Sydney Olympics has hardly looked back. Broke world record for 5,000 metres on the track at national championships last month and in that sort of form will definitely contest for a medal.
Olive Loughnane
Club: Loughrea AC
Age: 26; Personal best: 1:32.44; Season best: 1:32.44; Championship experience: Also competed in Sydney and then Edmonton World Championships. Improving every season and well capable of a top-10 finish.
Munich timetable: The highlights
Tuesday
16.35: 20km Walk M final; 18.20: 100m M second round; 19.05: 800m W heats; 20.00: 10,000m W final.
Wednesday
15.15: Hammer M final; 17.05: 400m W semi-final; 17.25: 100m W semi-final; 17.40: 100m M semi-final; 18.35: Long Jump W final; 18.40: 100m W final; 18.50: 400m M semi-final; 19.10: 800m W semi-final; 19.30: 100m M final 20.10: 10,000m M final.
Thursday
17.45: 200m W second round; 18.10: 200m M second round; 18.40: 1,500m M final; 18.55: High jump M final; 19.00: 400m Hurdles W final; 19.20: Triple jump M final; 19.25: 400m M final; 19.50: 800m W final; 19.50: Javelin W final; 20.10: 400m W final; 21.10: 5,000m W heats.
Friday
14.20: Hammer W final; 17.00: 200m W semi-final; 17.00: Pole Vault W final; 17.20: 200m M semi-final; 17.40: 100m Hurdles W semi-final; 18.30: 400m Hurdles M final; 18.45: Javelin M final; 19.10: 200m W final; 19.25: 200m M final; 19.45: 100m Hurdles W final; 20.00: 5,000m M heats.
Saturday
10.45: Marathon W final; 14.00: Triple Jump W final; 14.10: 110m Hurdles M semi-final; 14.20: Pole Vault M final; 15.10: 800m M semi-final; 15.30: 3,000m Steeplechase M final; 15.50: Shot put W final; 16.00: 110m Hurdles M final; 16.15: 5,000m W final.
Sunday
12.00: Start Marathon M final; 14.20: High Jump W final; 15.00: Discus M final; 15.00: 4x100m W final; 15.20: 800m M final; 15.25: Long Jump M final; 15.30: 4x100m M final; 16.00: 1,500m W final; 16.20: 4x400m W final; 16.40: 5,000m M final; 17.08: 4x400m M final.
On Television
Tuesday - Network 2: 19.30-21.00; BBC1: 09.00-12.00; BBC 2: 16.45-21.00; Eurosport: 09.00-13.00; 15.30-16.30; 17.00-21.30.
Wednesday - Network 2: 18.00-20.00; BBC 1: 09.00-11.00; 19.00-19.55; BBC 2: 16.30-19.00; 20.00-21.00; Eurosport: 08.00-13.00; 14.00-21.15; 23.30-00.15.
Thursday - Network 2: 18.30-20.30; 21.00-22.00; BBC 1: 09.00-12.00; 19.00-20.00; BBC 2: 17.00-19.00; 21.00-22.00; Eurosport: 08.30-22.00.
Friday - Network 2: 18.00-20.00; BBC 1: 09.00-11.30; 19.00-20.00; BBC 2: 16.30-19.00, 20.00-21.00; Eurosport: 08.30-12.00; 13.00-21.00.
Saturday - RTÉ 1: 15.25-17.00; BBC 1: 12.55-18.05; Eurosport:14.00-14.45; 16.30-19.00.
Sunday - Network 2: 17.35-18.45; BBC 1: 14.45-18.10; Eurosport: 14.00-18.00.
