Exciting weekend ahead at National Combined Events and AAI Games
The busy summer of athletics action continues this weekend as the 123.ie National Combined Events Championships and AAI Games takes place on Saturday and Sunday in Morton Stadium, Santry.
This year’s AAI Games incorporates the National Junior 3000m, National Masters 2000m and 3000m Steeplechase, 300m and 400m Hurdles, and Heavy Hammer as well as the National Senior 10,000m and for the very first time Mixed 4x400m Relay Championships.
Prize money to the total value of €4,000 will be split across all non-championship events at this year’s AAI Games.
Day One
The National Combined Events Championships will once again see some of the country’s top multi-event athletes in action on the track and in the field.
Aoibhin McDonald (St. Abban’s A.C.) will hope to add the Junior Women’s Heptathlon title to the Indoor Pentathlon title she won earlier this year.
Lara O’Byrne took gold this time last year in the Senior Women’s Heptathlon and will be hoping to produce a similar performance this weekend.
Danny Hagan (Ferrybank A.C.) had to settle for silver in the Indoor Heptathlon behind Alex Ademola in January but will be hoping to go one step further when he contests the Junior Men’s Decathlon.
Rolus Olusa (Clonliffe Harriers A.C.) is the only athlete in the Senior Men’s field to have broken seven thousand points in a Decathlon making him the favourite to claim gold on his home track. Young athlete Jack Forde (St. Killian’s A.C.) will be hoping to mount a strong challenge having won his first national senior title in the Indoor Senior Men’s Heptathlon in 2023.
The AAI Games action gets underway with the 100m and 110m Hurdles. Niamh O’Neill (St. Colman’s South Mayo A.C.) is the fastest in the 100m Hurdles field so far this year. O’Neill will face stiff competition from the likes of multi-event star Kate O’Connor (Dundalk St. Gerald’s A.C.), Lilly-Ann O’Hora (Doneen A.C.) and Lucy McGlynn (Tír Chonaill A.C.)
An impressive field will also assemble for the Men’s 110m Hurdles featuring National U20 record holder Adam Nolan (St. Laurence O’Toole A.C.) as well as multiple time national senior champions Gerard O’Donnell (Carrick-on-Shannon A.C.) and Matthew Behan (Crusaders A.C.).
A host of top class athletes are also entered in the Women’s and Men’s 200m. Lauren Roy (City of Lisburn A.C.) will no doubt be one of the one’s to watch in the women’s race, as well as athletes of the calibre of Lucy-May Sleeman (Leevale A.C.) and recent national U23 champion Katie Bergin (Moyne A.C.).
400m specialists Sophie Becker (Raheny Shamrocks A.C.), Cliodhna Manning (Kilkenny City Harriers A.C.) and Roisin Harrison (Emerald A.C.) are also entered but may opt to solely prioritise Sunday’s 400m race.
National senior indoor record holder Mark Smyth (Raheny Shamrocks A.C.) looks the man to beat in the men’s race, with Adam Murphy (Tinryland A.C.), Dannan Long (Enniscorthy A.C.) and Bori Akinola (U.C.D. A.C.) also in exceptional form this year.
There is the prospect of a very exciting Women’s 2000m Steeplechase as Olympians Michelle Finn (Leevale A.C.) and Eilish Flanagan (Finn Valley A.C.) go head-to-head against international athletes. Flanagan broke the national record in the event two years ago at this meet.
Finley Daly (Sligo A.C.) ran at the recent European Team Championships and will be favourite to win the Men’s race but can expect a tough battle with Jonas Stafford (Ashford A.C.).
Closing the opening day’s action on the track will be the Senior 10,000m and Mixed Relay National Championships.
Shona Heaslip (An Riocht A.C.) looks to be the lead contender in the women’s 10,000m race having ran 33.26.96 at the European 10,000m Cup in Pace, France last month. National marathon champion Courtney McGuire (Clonmel A.C.) will also be hoping to mount the top of the podium.
Stephen Scullion (Clonliffe Harriers A.C.) is a past winner of the men’s 10,000m national title and should he start would appear to be the favourite for gold. Jake O’Regan (St. John’s A.C.), David Mansfield (Clonmel A.C.) and David McGlynn (Waterford A.C.) will all have their eyes set on a podium place.
The senior 4x400m Mixed Relay will make its National Championships debut. Two teams from Dundrum South Dublin A.C. are set to feature along with a team each from Crusaders A.C., Mayo A.C. and Carraig na bhFear A.C.
Both the Women’s and Men’s Discus and Hammer competitions also take place on day one.
Anna Gavigan (LSA A.C.) will no doubt be the athlete to beat in the Women’s Discus having thrown an Irish U20 record earlier this month, while Michael Healy (Leevale A.C.) has the best season’s best heading into the men’s competition.
Sean Mockler (Moycarkey Coolcroo A.C.) took maximum points for Ireland at the European Team Championships and will be a tough man to beat on Saturday. Mairead O’Neill (Gneeveguilla A.C.) will hope to win the women’s competition.
Day Two
The second day of the AAI Games commences with both the Men’s and Women’s 100m.
Bori Akinola (U.C.D. A.C.) has clocked a blistering 10.38 this year making him the lead entry heading into Sunday, however Joseph Ojewumi (Tallaght A.C.) and Michael Farrelly (Raheny Shamrocks A.C.) also look like they will be in the mix.
Joan Healy (Leevale A.C.) ran a super time of 11.59, just 0.02s outside her personal best last weekend in Belgium, making her one to watch in the women’s race. Lauren Roy (City of Lisburn A.C.) and Sarah Leahy (Killarney Valley A.C.) will also be expected to feature prominently.
Shona O’Brien (Cork Track Club) heads a talented domestic field in the Women’s 1500m. Greta Streimyte (Clonliffe Harriers A.C.) is amongst the entrants following her superb fourth place finish in the Women’s T13 1500m at the World Para Athletics Championships in Paris.
Eoin Everard (Kilkenny City Harriers A.C.) looks to be one of the standout names in the men’s race alongside Kieran Kelly (Raheny Shamrocks A.C.) and junior athlete Harry Colbert (Waterford A.C.).
Kelly McGrory (Tír Chonaill A.C.) and Jack Mitchell (St. Laurence O’Toole A.C.) will be the favourites for victory in the Women’s and Men’s 400m Hurdles.
The national junior 3000m races will be next to feature. Roise Roberts (North Belfast Harriers) and Avril Millerick (Youghal A.C.) looks set to battle it out in the women’s race, while Jack Fenelon (St. Abban’s A.C.), Lughaidh Mallon (Lagan Valley A.C.) and Louie Woodger (Metro St. Brigid’s A.C.) will all be vying for medals in the men’s race.
Harry Purcell (Trim A.C.) and Paul Robinson (St. Coca’s A.C.) are both listed to contest an intriguing Men’s 800m. Maeve O’Neill (Doheny A.C.) has the fastest time in the field this season in the women’s race.
The last track action of the AAI Games could be particularly fascinating at the one lap specialists go head-to-head.
Sophie Becker (Raheny Shamrocks A.C.), Roisin Harrison (Emerald A.C.), Phil Healy (Bandon A.C.) and Cliodhna Manning (Kilkenny City Harriers A.C.) are also entered in the Women’s 400m.
Kelly McGrory (Tír Chonaill A.C.), Leah Bergin (Clonliffe Harriers A.C.), Niamh Murray (Bray Runners A.C.) and Molly Hourihan (Dundrum South Dublin A.C.) have also all broken 55 seconds this year, underlying the serious depth in the event within Ireland at the moment.
Eoin Kenny (Waterford A.C.) and David Bosch (Dundrum South Dublin A.C.) have both broken 48 seconds this season and could go head-to-head in the Men’s race.
In the field the Women’s and Men’s Long Jump, Triple Jump, High Jump, Shot Put, Pole Vault and Javelin are all taking place.
Grace Fitzgerald (Tipperary Town A.C.) and Sam Healy (Leevale A.C.) are the lead Long Jump entries.
Saragh Buggy (St. Abban’s A.C.) represented Ireland in the Women’s Triple Jump at the recent European Team Championships and will be hoping for a big performance on Sunday, while Conall Mahon (Tír Chonaill) looks to be the favourite in the men’s competition.
Daena Kealy (St. Abban’s A.C.) and Ciara Kenneally (Killarney Valley A.C.) who went to DCU together should go head-to-head in the Women’s High Jump.
Callum Keating (North Cork A.C.) is top of the entry list in the Men’s Shot Put, while Michaela Walsh (Swinford A.C.) will prove difficult to beat in the women’s competition.
Michael Bowler (Enniscorthy A.C.) will dual it out with Joshua Fitzgerald (Leevale A.C.) and Matthew Callinan-Keenan (St. Laurence O’Toole A.C.) in the Men’s Pole Vault. Una Brice (Leevale A.C.) will have her eyes set on winning the women’s competition.
Both Katie Moynihan (Leevale A.C.) and Ailbhe Gordon (Greystones and District A.C.) have thrown in excess of 40m this year and will be battling it out in the Women’s Javelin.