World Athletics Championships 2022 - the Irish men and women in Oregon

21 Irish athletes between individual and relay events set for the largest global sporting event of the year

Rhasidat Adeleke: making her senior championship debut having been overlooked for the Olympics last year. Has real potential over 400m. Photograph:  Joosep Martinson/Getty Images for European Athletics
Rhasidat Adeleke: making her senior championship debut having been overlooked for the Olympics last year. Has real potential over 400m. Photograph: Joosep Martinson/Getty Images for European Athletics

Chris O’Donnell

Age: 24

Club: North Sligo

Event: 400m, Mixed 4x400m Relay

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Improved to 45.26 in Madrid last month, a potential semi-finalist. Coached by Benke Blomkvist.

Mark English

Age: 29

Club: Finn Valley

Event: 800m

Best of 1:46.02, off his 1:44.71 of last year, has the experience to progress. Coached by Feidhlim Kelly.

Andrew Coscoran

Age: 26

Club: Star of the Sea

Event: 1500m

Ran 3:36.54 last month, off his best of 3:35.66 from last year, capable making the semi-final. Coached by Feidhlim Kelly.

Thomas Barr

Age: 29

Club: Ferrybank

Event: 400m Hurdles

Ran 49.53 in May, before injury interrupted things, will require something very big to make the final. Coached by Hayley Harrison.

Eric Favors

Age: 25

Club: Raheny Shamrocks

Event: Shot put

US-based, threw 20.11m in Cork earlier this month, receiving a late invite by athlete quota. Building towards Paris 2024. Coached by Dane Miller.

John Kelly

Age: 26

Club: Finn Valley

Event: Shot put.

From St Johnston in Donegal, threw a brilliant 20.16 in Cork, improving the Irish record, also building towards Paris. Coached by Vesteinn Hafsteinsson in Sweden.

Jack Raftery

Age: 21

Club: Donore Harriers

Event: Mixed 4x400m Relay

Ran 46.17 in Belgium in May, won the Morton Games in Santry, an exciting prospect. Coached by Jeremy Lyons.

Luke Lennon-Ford

Age: 33

Club: Clonliffe Harriers

Event: Mixed 4x400m Relay

British-born and with considerable relay experience already. Coached by David Sadkin.

Brendan Boyce

Age: 35

Club: Finn Valley

Event: 35km Walk

Finished 10th in Tokyo and sixth in the 2019 World Championships in the now discontinued 50km walk, can still compete well at this distance. Coached by Robert Heffernan.

David Kenny

Age: 23

Club: Farranfore Maine Valley

Event: 20km Walk

Ranked fifth on season best of 1:19:44, capable of top-10 finish with further improvement. Coached by Robert Heffernan.

Rhasidat Adeleke

Age: 19

Club: Tallaght

Event: 200m, 400m, mixed 4x400m relay, 4x100m relay

Yes still a teenager – turning 20 next month – making her senior championship debut, overlooked for the Olympics last year, real potential most likely over 400m. Coached by Edrick Floreal at the University of Texas.

Sophie Becker

Age: 25

Club: Raheny Shamrock AC

Event: 400m, mixed 4x400m relay.

Improved her best to 51.83 in May, part of the mixed relay team that made the Olympic final and may do similar here. Coached by Jeremy Lyons and Ger O’Donnell.

Louise Shanahan

Age: 25

Club: Leevale AC

Event: 800m

Improved the Irish record to 1:59.42 in Belfast in May, a bit off that of late and unlikely to advance here. Coached by Phil O’Dell at Cambridge and her father Ray Shanahan.

Sarah Healy

Age: 21

Club: UCD

Event: 1500m

Continues to rewrite underage records, clocking 4:02.86 in Ostrava in May, a repeat of which here could see her advance. Coached by Eoghan Marnell.

Sarah Lavin

Age: 28

Club: Emerald

Event: 100m hurdles, 4x100m relay

A World Indoor finalist over 60m hurdles in March, improved best to 12.84 in Cork, and certainly keen to progress again here. Coached by Noelle Morrissey.

Sharlene Mawdsley

Age: 23

Club: Newport

Event: Mixed 4x400m relay

Ran 51.70 in Belgium last year, a best of 52.10 this year, improving back-up if required. Coached by Olympian Gary Ryan.

Molly Scott

Age: 23

Club: St Laurence O’Toole AC

Event: 4x100m relay

Briefly held Irish indoor 60m record in February, narrowly lost Irish 100m title to Rhasidat Adeleke, fast-improving still. Coached by her mother Deirdre Scott

Joan Healy

Age: 29

Club: Leevale

Event: 4x100m relay

Older sister of Phil, who is skipping Oregon, best of 11.57 this season in June. Coached by Derval O’Rourke and Marian Heffernan.

Sarah Leahy

Age: 22

Club: Killarney Valley

Event: 4x100m relay

Ran a lifetime best of 11.67 in Carlow in April, seventh in the Irish championship 100m. final, a fast-rising prospect. Coached by Drew and Hayley Harrison.

Lauren Roy

Age: 21

Club: City of Lisburn AC

Event: 4x100m relay

Clocked a best of 11.77 in Florida in May, sixth in the Irish championship 100m final, also an exciting emerging talent. Coached by Adam McMullen.

Adeyemi Talabi

Age: 19

Club: Longford

Event: 4x100m relay

Ran a best of 11.44 in LA in May, just finished her freshman year at the University of Texas at Arlington. Coached by Tyrone Edgar

Ian O'Riordan

Ian O'Riordan

Ian O'Riordan is an Irish Times sports journalist writing on athletics