Top international sprinters confirmed for Irish Indoors
Top internationals are heading for what is shaping up to be the event of the year, the Woodie’s DIY Irish Indoor Athletic Championships at the Odyssey Arena Belfast on 7th-8th February. A spectacular line-up has been confirmed by joint organisers Athletics Northern Ireland and Athletics Ireland including Olympic Gold medalist Christine Ohuruogu, along with top international sprinters who will be looking for a victory over Ireland’s Paul Hession.
This is the sixth Irish Indoors meeting in the North which has been made possible by the generous assistance of title sponsor Woodie’s DIY and funding partners Belfast City Council and Sport Northern Ireland.
US Sprinter Josh Norman returns to the venue hoping to take the 60m title which he narrowly lost last year by 0.01 second to fellow team mate Rae Edwards. Norman has reached the very difficult US 60m finals for the last four years and has a PB of 6.55 seconds. Britain’s Lloyd Rice who finished fourth in 2008 in 6.94 seconds will join Ireland’s Paul Hession in this stellar line-up.
 
Richard Strachan (Leeds City) is another athlete making a return visit to compete over 400m which he won in 2008 in a new PB of 47.53 seconds. He will face opposition from Adebowale Ademuyewo (Sale) who set new figures of 47.59 seconds in Birmingham in 2008 and was a member of the GB 4x400m team in the World Indoor Championships in Valencia last year.
Brianna Glen of the US will double up in the 60m and the Long Jump with stiff competition coming from Ferrybank’s Kelly Proper in both events. Glen has a PB of 7.25 seconds over 60m and won the Odyssey title last year in 7.38s while in the Long Jump she has leaped 6.71m (2007).
Last year in the men’s 5k Walk, the ever-consistent Robert Heffernan, took two seconds off his own record to record new figures of 18.51.46. Italian athletes Fortunato D’onofrio and Alberto Contu, coached by the legendary Sandro Damilano, will use the competition as preparation for their Italian Indoor Championships two weeks later in Turin. All of the athletes have the European Cup in May and qualification for the World Championships in Berlin firmly in their sights.
A host of talented Slovakian athletes will compete in events such as the Long Jump, High Jump, 800m and 1500m.
This year competition for places on the Irish Team for the European Indoor Championships in Turin will be hotly contested and local Irish athletes will be vying for their place at the Odyssey Arena. The Women’s 4x400m team received a welcome boost with a special invite to compete at the European Indoor Championships in Turin in March; one of only six European countries invited. The provisional Irish team will be announced on Monday 9th February.
The dedicated website provides all competitors and spectators information on the event including the schedule, accommodation, athlete profiles and a photo gallery. Visit www.indoorathletics.net
Action gets under way at 4:30pm on Saturday and 1:00pm on Sunday. The event will be shown on RTE on Monday 9th February. Tickets are available at the Odyssey Box Office or through Ticketmaster. |
