Ireland

Ireland

Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...

will compete at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics

2009 World Championships in Athletics

The 12th IAAF World Championships in Athletics were held in Berlin, Germany from 15–23 August 2009. The majority of events took place in the Olympiastadion, while the marathon and racewalking events started and finished at the Brandenburg Gate....

from 15–23 August. A team of 14 athletes was announced in preparation for the competition. Selected athletes have achieved one of the competition's qualifying standards

2009 World Championships in Athletics qualification standards

The following marks are the A and B qualification standards for the 2009 World Championships in Athletics. Each country may send a maximum of four athletes who have attained the A qualification mark in each specific event. A maximum of three athletes can compete in that event, with the sole...

. The team includes European medallists Derval O'Rourke

Derval O'Rourke

Derval O'Rourke is an Irish sprint hurdles athlete. She competes internationally in the 60 and 100 metres hurdles, and is the Irish national record holder in both events...

 and David Gillick

David Gillick

David Gillick is an Irish international track and field athlete. David began his education in Our Lady's Boys School and attended St.Benildus College secondary school in Kilmacud. He studied at Dublin Institute of Technology before moving to Loughborough to train as a full time athlete with coach...

, and 2008 Olympic

2008 Summer Olympics

The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...

 finalists Eileen O'Keeffe

Eileen O'Keeffe

Eileen O'Keefe is a former female hammer thrower from Ireland. Her personal best throw of 73.21 metres, achieved in July 2007 at the national championships in Dublin, is the Irish record for the event...

, Rob Heffernan and Roisin McGettigan

Roisin McGettigan

Roisin McGettigan is an Irish runner who specializes in the 3000 metres steeplechase. She graduated from Providence College in 2003. She competed in the her first Olympic Games in 2008 in Beijing...

.

This is expected to be one of Ireland's best performances at the World Champs, with Gillick and Hession strong medal contenders in the 400m and 200m

Team selection

Track and road events

Event	Athletes
	Men	Women
200 metres 200 metres A 200 metres race is a sprint running event. On an outdoor 400 m track, the race begins on the curve and ends on the home straight, so a combination of techniques are needed to successfully run the race. A slightly shorter race, called the stadion and run on a straight track, was the first...	Paul Hession Paul Hession Paul Hession is an Irish international track and field athlete who specialises in the sprinting events, particularly the 200 metres...
400 metres 400 metres The 400 metres, or 400 metre dash, is a common sprinting event in track and field competitions. It has been featured in the athletics programme at the Summer Olympics since 1896 . On a standard outdoor running track, it is exactly one lap around the track. Runners start in staggered positions and...	David Gillick David Gillick David Gillick is an Irish international track and field athlete. David began his education in Our Lady's Boys School and attended St.Benildus College secondary school in Kilmacud. He studied at Dublin Institute of Technology before moving to Loughborough to train as a full time athlete with coach...
800 metres 800 metres The 800 meter race is a common track running event. It is the shortest common middle distance track event. The 800 meter is run over two laps of the track and has always been an Olympic event. During indoor track season the event is usually run on a 200 meter track, therefore requiring four laps...	Thomas Chamney Thomas Chamney Thomas Chamney is an Irish runner who was born in Clonmel and brought up in Dublin. He specializes in the 800 metres event. Chamney runs for the Crusaders AC club whilst in Dublin and has been on an athletics scholarship at the University of Notre Dame, South Bend, Indiana where he studied English...
1500 metres 1500 metres The 1,500-metre run is the premier middle distance track event.Aerobic endurance is the biggest factor contributing to success in the 1500 metres but the athlete also requires significant sprint speed.In modern times, the 1,500-metre run has been run at a pace faster than the average person could...	Thomas Chamney Thomas Chamney Thomas Chamney is an Irish runner who was born in Clonmel and brought up in Dublin. He specializes in the 800 metres event. Chamney runs for the Crusaders AC club whilst in Dublin and has been on an athletics scholarship at the University of Notre Dame, South Bend, Indiana where he studied English...	Deirdre Byrne
5000 metres 5000 metres The 5000 metres is a popular running distance also known as 5 km or 5K in American English. It is one of the track events in the Olympic Games and the World Championships in Athletics. "5000 metres" refers to racing on a track and "5K" usually refers to a roadrace or cross country event...	Alistair Cragg
100 metres hurdles 100 metres hurdles The 100 m hurdles are an Olympic track and field athletics discipline run by women . For the race ten hurdles of a height of 83.8 cm are placed evenly spaced along a straight course of 100 meters. They are positioned so that they will fall over if bumped into by the runner...	—	Derval O'Rourke Derval O'Rourke Derval O'Rourke is an Irish sprint hurdles athlete. She competes internationally in the 60 and 100 metres hurdles, and is the Irish national record holder in both events...
400 metres hurdles 400 metres hurdles The 400 metres hurdles is an Olympic athletics event in track and field. On a standard outdoor track 400 metres is the length of the inside lane once around the stadium. Runners stay in their lane the entire way after starting out of the blocks and must clear ten hurdles that are evenly...		Michelle Carey
3000 m steeplechase		Roisin McGettigan Roisin McGettigan Roisin McGettigan is an Irish runner who specializes in the 3000 metres steeplechase. She graduated from Providence College in 2003. She competed in the her first Olympic Games in 2008 in Beijing...
20 km race walk	Robert Heffernan Robert Heffernan Robert Heffernan is an Irish race walker. Having been seen as one of Ireland's best hopes of an athletics medal at the 2008 Olympic Games, he came eighth in the 20km Walk. His wife Marian Andrews is also national women's 400 metres champion and was on the Irish women's team that finished 4th in...	Olive Loughnane Olive Loughnane Olive Loughnane is an Irish race walker. She has competed in three Olympic Games . Loughnane has represented Ireland at five consecutive editions of the World Championships in Athletics and she won a silver medal at the 2009 World Championships. Loughnane earned $30,000 in prize money from the...
50 km race walk	Jamie Costin Jamie Costin James Costin is an Irish race walker from Ring, County Waterford.He has qualified to represent Ireland in the 50km Walk at three Olympic Games... Colin Griffin	—

Field and combined events

Event	Athletes
	Men	Women
High jump High jump The high jump is a track and field athletics event in which competitors must jump over a horizontal bar placed at measured heights without the aid of certain devices in its modern most practiced format; auxiliary weights and mounds have been used for assistance; rules have changed over the years....		Deirdre Ryan Deirdre Ryan Deirdre Ryan is an Irish high jumper.She finished thirteenth at the 2006 European Championships. She also competed at the 1999 World Youth Championships, the 2002 European Indoor Championships, the 2007 European Indoor Championships, the 2009 European Indoor Championships, the 2009 World...
Hammer throw Hammer throw The modern or Olympic hammer throw is an athletic throwing event where the object is to throw a heavy metal ball attached to a wire and handle. The name "hammer throw" is derived from older competitions where an actual sledge hammer was thrown...		Eileen O'Keefe

Men

Track and road events

Event	Athletes	Heat Round 1		Heat Round 2		Semifinal		Final
		Result	Rank	Result	Rank	Result	Rank	Result	Rank
200 m 2009 World Championships in Athletics – Men's 200 metres The men's 200 metres at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics was held at the Olympic Stadium on August 18 and August 20.The race favourites were Tyson Gay and Usain Bolt. Gay entered the competition as the reigning world champion, championship record holder, and 200 m world leader with...	Paul Hession Paul Hession Paul Hession is an Irish international track and field athlete who specialises in the sprinting events, particularly the 200 metres...	20.66 Q	5	20.48 Q	7	20.48	11	Did not advance
400 m 2009 World Championships in Athletics – Men's 400 metres The men's 400 metres at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics was held at the Olympic Stadium on 18, 19 and 21 August.The United States had a strong tradition in the event, with an American topping the Olympic 400 m podium every time since the 1988 Olympics. Similar to the 2007 World...	David Gillick David Gillick David Gillick is an Irish international track and field athlete. David began his education in Our Lady's Boys School and attended St.Benildus College secondary school in Kilmacud. He studied at Dublin Institute of Technology before moving to Loughborough to train as a full time athlete with coach...	45.54 Q	12	-		44.88 q	6	45.53	6
800 m 2009 World Championships in Athletics – Men's 800 metres The men's 800 metres at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics was held at the Olympic Stadium on 20, 21 and 23 August.-Medalists:-Records:Prior to the competition, the following records were as follows.-Qualification standards:-Schedule:...	Thomas Chamney Thomas Chamney Thomas Chamney is an Irish runner who was born in Clonmel and brought up in Dublin. He specializes in the 800 metres event. Chamney runs for the Crusaders AC club whilst in Dublin and has been on an athletics scholarship at the University of Notre Dame, South Bend, Indiana where he studied English...	1:48.09	28	-		Did not advance
1500 m 2009 World Championships in Athletics – Men's 1500 metres The men's 1500 metres at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics was held at the Olympic Stadium between 15–19 August. Among the favoured athletes in the event were defending champion Bernard Lagat, European champion Mehdi Baala, and the Kenyan season leaders Asbel Kiprop, Haron Keitany and...	Thomas Chamney Thomas Chamney Thomas Chamney is an Irish runner who was born in Clonmel and brought up in Dublin. He specializes in the 800 metres event. Chamney runs for the Crusaders AC club whilst in Dublin and has been on an athletics scholarship at the University of Notre Dame, South Bend, Indiana where he studied English...	3:42.54	18	Did not advance
5000 m 2009 World Championships in Athletics – Men's 5000 metres The men's 5000 metres at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics will be held at the Olympic Stadium on 20 and 23 August-Medalists:-Records:-Qualification standards:-Schedule:-Heats:...	Alistair Cragg	13:46.34	27	-				Did not advance
20 km walk 2009 World Championships in Athletics – Men's 20 kilometres walk The men's 20 kilometres walk event at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics was held throughout the city of Berlin on August 15, beginning and ending at the Brandenburg Gate.-Medalists:-Records:-Qualification standards:-Schedule:...	Robert Heffernan Robert Heffernan Robert Heffernan is an Irish race walker. Having been seen as one of Ireland's best hopes of an athletics medal at the 2008 Olympic Games, he came eighth in the 20km Walk. His wife Marian Andrews is also national women's 400 metres champion and was on the Irish women's team that finished 4th in...	-						1:22.09 SB	15
50 km walk 2009 World Championships in Athletics – Men's 50 kilometres walk The men's 50 kilometre walk at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics took place on August 21, 2009 on the streets of Berlin, Germany. The event started and finished at the Brandenburg Gate....	Jamie Costin Jamie Costin James Costin is an Irish race walker from Ring, County Waterford.He has qualified to represent Ireland in the 50km Walk at three Olympic Games...	-						DNF
	Colin Griffin	-						DNF

Women

Track and road events

Event	Athletes	Heat Round 1		Heat Round 2		Semifinal		Final
		Result	Rank	Result	Rank	Result	Rank	Result	Rank
1500 m 2009 World Championships in Athletics – Women's 1500 metres The women's 1500 metres at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics was held at the Olympic Stadium between 18–23 August.-Medalists:-Records:-Qualification standards:-Schedule:-Heats:...	Deirdre Byrne	4:12.19	31	Did not advance
100 m hurdles 2009 World Championships in Athletics – Women's 100 metres hurdles The women's 100 metres hurdles at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics was held at the Olympic Stadium 18 and 19 August.The world leader Lolo Jones had not qualified for the championships, but a number of athletes had also posted fast times and scored major victories on the World Athletics...	Derval O'Rourke Derval O'Rourke Derval O'Rourke is an Irish sprint hurdles athlete. She competes internationally in the 60 and 100 metres hurdles, and is the Irish national record holder in both events...	12.86 SB Q	10	-		12.73 SB q	7	12.67 NR	4
400 m hurdles 2009 World Championships in Athletics – Women's 400 metres hurdles The women's 400 metres hurdles at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics was held at the Olympic Stadium on 17, 18 and 20 August.In the four major championships between 2004 and 2008, the twelve available medals were won by eleven different athletes...	Michelle Carey	56.91	25	Did not advance
3000 m steeplechase 2009 World Championships in Athletics – Women's 3000 metres steeplechase The Women's 3,000 metres Steeplechase event at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics was held at the Olympic Stadium on August 15 and August 17...	Roisin McGettigan Roisin McGettigan Roisin McGettigan is an Irish runner who specializes in the 3000 metres steeplechase. She graduated from Providence College in 2003. She competed in the her first Olympic Games in 2008 in Beijing...	9:59.10	13	Did not advance
20 km walk 2009 World Championships in Athletics – Women's 20 kilometres walk The Women's 20 km Walk event at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics was held throughout the city of Berlin on August 16, beginning and ending at the Brandenburg Gate....	Olive Loughnane Olive Loughnane Olive Loughnane is an Irish race walker. She has competed in three Olympic Games . Loughnane has represented Ireland at five consecutive editions of the World Championships in Athletics and she won a silver medal at the 2009 World Championships. Loughnane earned $30,000 in prize money from the...							1:28.56 SB

Field and combined events

Event	Athletes	Qualification		Final
		Result	Rank	Result	Rank
High jump 2009 World Championships in Athletics – Women's high jump The women's high jump event at the 2009 World Championships in Berlin, Germany was held between 18 August and 20 August 2009.Reigning champion Blanka Vlašić had spent the 2007 and 2008 seasons largely unbeaten, but high profile losses in the Olympic high jump final and the 2008 IAAF Golden League...	Deirdre Ryan Deirdre Ryan Deirdre Ryan is an Irish high jumper.She finished thirteenth at the 2006 European Championships. She also competed at the 1999 World Youth Championships, the 2002 European Indoor Championships, the 2007 European Indoor Championships, the 2009 European Indoor Championships, the 2009 World...	1.85m	31	Did not advance
Hammer throw 2009 World Championships in Athletics – Women's hammer throw The Women's Hammer Throw event at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics was held at the Olympic Stadium on August 20 and August 22.-Medalists:-Abbreviations:*All results shown are in metres-Records:...	Eileen O'Keefe	63.20	35	Did not advance

External links

• Official competition website