Ciaran McDonagh, 1999 World Long Jump finalist makes a welcome return to International competition when he leads a large Irish team at the Indoor International in Cardiff, Wales on Sunday, 9th February.
The 26-year-old Meath man, who was the first Irishman to jump over 8.00m in 1999 has overcome numerous injuries in the meantime and is now hopeful of securing his place for the World Indoor Championships at the trials coinciding with the National Indoor Championships in Belfast on Saturday and Sunday week on 15th-16th February.
Paul Brizzel, who broke Gary Ryan's National 200m indoor record on Saturday last with a run of 21.06 in Birmingham has requested to be selected over his less favoured 60m in an attempt to improve his basic speed. The 60m record of 6.78 is now the only Irish sprint record that the Antrim man doesn't hold which sets things up perfectly for the title of Irelands fastest man in the Odyssey in 2 weeks time.
Leevale's Derval O'Rourke who ran 8.27 for the 60m Hurdles also in Birmingham will be confident of improving the necessary 7/100th of a second, which would also secure her place on the team for the World Championships.
Elsewhere Emily Maher will attempt a sprint double, Maria Lynch and Niamh Beirne will be favourites in the middle distance events and Robert Daly and David McCarthy will hope for success in the 300m and 400m respectively.
For more information from Cardiff at the weekend (Sunday) please contact me on 0044 78145 29090 or beforehand on 087-6645198
Thanks to AAI's Pierce O'Callaghan for this report.
Irish Teams Indoor International in Cardiff, Wales ~ 9th February 2003
