There’ll be heroism, heartbreak, and as is now almost customary for a pre-Olympics national athletics championships, there’ll be controversy.
For a large swathe of Ireland’s best, this is the final opportunity to seal their spot in Tokyo, but amid all the storylines set to play out in Santry this weekend, one in particular could be set to ignite.
That all depends on what Athletics Ireland and the Olympic Federation of Ireland (OFI) choose to do in the case of Leon Reid, the 26-year-old sprinter who is eligible to compete for Ireland over 200m at the Tokyo Olympics, positioned well within the qualification quota with World Athletics.
Reid, who is based in Bath, was one of 18 men charged at Bristol Crown Court earlier this month in relation to drugs and firearms offences that date back to last year. He denied all eight charges and the case was adjourned until July 23, with the trial not expected to begin until November at the earliest.
Tomorrow Reid will compete in the 200m, where his biggest rival will be Marcus Lawler, and with three days until the qualification window closes for Tokyo, both should be eligible for selection. It’s understood Reid can travel to the Games but he has two big hurdles to clear first: he must be nominated by Athletics Ireland and then the OFI’s selection panel must approve his place on Team Ireland.
When contacted this week, both AAI and the OFI said they were unable to comment on their current position regarding his potential selection. Reid has been in impressive form of late, clocking a 100m PB of 10.30, and tomorrow he will renew his rivalry with reigning champion Lawler, who he defeated to win this title in 2019.
Tomorrow’s women’s 200m also looks a cracker, with Phil Healy taking on 18-year-old sensation Rhasidat Adeleke, who broke Healy’s Irish 200m record with 22.96 last month. Healy has secured a place in Tokyo via world rankings over 200m and the Bandon athlete will also chase a place in the 400m today.
Thomas Barr will look to give himself the perfect Olympic send-off with another national title in the 400m hurdles and he’s been in flying form this year, clocking 48.39, his fastest ever time outside a major championship.
Sarah Lavin will try to solidify her place in Tokyo with another fast time in the women’s 100m hurdles, while in the men’s 1500m Andrew Coscoran has his eyes both on a win and a fast time, knowing the ranking points he’d receive for both will boost his chances. He’s currently 42nd on the ‘Road to Tokyo’ list, with 45 set to qualify.
Mark English is absent from the 800m, choosing to race in Germany where he’s targeting the automatic standard of 1:45.20. The women’s 800m will feature an enthralling clash, with Nadia Power, Síofra Cléirigh-Buttner, Georgie Hartigan and Louise Shanahan all chasing both a national title and Olympic qualification. The full event is streamed on Athletics Ireland’s YouTube, with live coverage on RTÉ1.
National Athletics Championships
Live, RTÉ1, 2.55