In-form Ciara Mageean the main draw as elite athletes line out at Irish indoor
Two weeks and counting, and as the days tick away until the European Indoor Championships in Glasgow, there’s an extra sense of spectacle surrounding this weekend’s Irish Life Health National Senior Indoor Championships.
The stars of Irish athletics will be out in force in Abbotstown, with Mark English, Ciara Mageean, Phil Healy and Thomas Barr all looking for a key final tune-up.
Mageean is the main draw in the programme today , contesting the women’s 3000m final at 2:45pm, arriving in Dublin after a scintillating win over 1500m in Athlone on Wednesday night, where she lowered her Irish indoor record to 4:06.76.
Barr, Healy and English will all contest their finals tomorrow, assuming they navigate their respective heats today. English will headline a strong men’s 800m field, though it will come as a huge shock if anyone challenges the Donegal man, who narrowly missed the Irish record when winning in Athlone on Wednesday in 1:46.94. Zak Curran and Conall Kirk, who are both qualified for the European Indoors, should give him most to do.
Phil Healy will be looking to return to winning ways in the women’s 400m, Ireland’s fastest woman back on track a week after finishing second at the Millrose Games in New York. In what was a messy race, her 53.72 was well down on her 2019 best of 52.31, and she will be looking for a sub-53-second showing to establish herself as a medal contender at the European Indoors. She will be kept on her toes by Sophie Becker, who’s enjoying a breakthrough year and has a best of 53.66.
All eyes will be on Thomas Barr in the men’s 400m, the Ferrybank star searching for his first sub-47-second clocking of the season after running 47.05 this week in Athlone. Andrew Mellon, Brandon Arrey, Luke Lennon-Ford and Cillin Greene will be his rivals.
Molly Scott should prove tough to beat in the women’s 60m, the Carlow sprinter arriving in excellent form after a personal best of 7.36 seconds, although Lauren Roy, Joan Healy, Ciara Neville and Patience Jumbo-Gula will also mount a strong showing. Joseph Ojewumi tops the rankings in the men’s 60m, with Leon Reid and Marcus Lawler also worthy of utmost respect.
Rising star Sarah Healy is entered for the 1500m and 3000m, the 18-year-old still shy of the qualifying standard for the European Indoor Championships. Kieran Kelly will bid to defend his title in the men’s 1500m, while John Travers should prove tough to beat in the men’s 3000m. Alex Wright and Kate Veale should prove a class apart in this afternoon’s race walks, while in the sprint hurdles, Molly Scott, Kate Doherty and Matthew Behan are the ones to watch.
Michaela Walsh and Sean Breathnach will start favourites for the shot puts, while in the women’s high jump world U20 medallist Sommer Lecky is hoping to recapture top form after a sub-par showing in Athlone this week.
The entire event will be streamed live on Athletics Ireland’s Facebook page.
