Ennis athlete makes Irish World Indoor Athletics team

AN ENNIS Track runner is among 19 athletes that will represent Ireland at the World Indoor Championships next week.

Cathal Crosbie is part of the squad named by Athletics Ireland for the Championships taking place from March 18 to 20 in Belgrade, Serbia.

The Clare man takes his place alongside Chris O’Donnell, Brian Gregan, Robert McDonnell, Cillin Greeneawdsley and Mark English

Molly Scott (St. Laurence O’Toole’s AC) is set take the World Indoor Championships by storm after her incredible record breaking 60m performance at the Irish Life Health National Senior Indoor Championships in February, retaking the Irish Record with a time of 7.19.

Phil Healy (Bandon AC) has been a strong feature of the Irish indoor season, after winning the Irish life Health National Senior Indoor Championships Healy went on to set a new 400m PB, 51.66, at the World Indoor Tour in Madrid last week (2nd March).

Mark English (Finn Valley AC) takes to the 800m and the Men’s 4x400m. The 2022 season has seen a series of consistent and strong performances from the Finn Valley Star with a sixth-place finish at the World Athletics Indoor Tour in Poland before coming to the Irish Life Health National Senior Indoor Championships to take top spot.

Israel Olatunde (UCD AC) features in the 60m after his incredible performance at the Irish Life Health National Senior Indoor Championships, securing both his standard to qualify for these championships; the 19-year-old also secured a new PB of 6.62 just 0.01 away from the National Senior record. I

Sarah Healy (UCD AC) is set for the 1500m and will be pushing for the final or better at the World Indoor Championships.

The 21-year-old has had a superb indoor season breaking her own U23 Record Number in February setting the time at 4:06.95, the second fastest ever by an Irish woman, after Ciara Mageean.

High Performance Director Paul McNamara commented on the selection, “Ireland had one athlete compete at the 2016 World Indoor Championships and five athletes compete at the 2018 edition, we have now selected a team of eleven individual athletes, plus the selection of two relay teams both of which will be pushing towards a final and new national record.”

“These figures underpin a significant increase in the strength and depth of indoor athletics in Ireland, which continues to bode well for the future, and this squad is confident of making an impact in on the global stage in Belgrade.”