|
|
Top Stars Likely to Miss Out on Commonwealth Selections | |
|
Bob Mullan Motors 5K Series 2005 Bob Mullan Motors 5K Series 2004 Bob Mullan Motors 5K Series 2003 Bob Mullan Motors 5K Series 2001
Website Sponsored by: - Noel Duddy Chartered Accountant 6 Lindenwood Park, Foyle Springs, L'Derry. 028 71374268
|
Some of Northern Ireland’s top athletics stars face a race against time to qualify for the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne next Spring. Although the deadline for achieving consideration marks is not until 18 September this weekend may be the last opportunity for meaningful competition as the track and field season rapidly draws to a close. The situation as not been helped by qualification marks based on what many consider a short-sighted and inflexible system drawn up by the NI Athletics High Performance Director in charge at the time of the last Games. In order to ensure that Northern Ireland got as many finalists as possible Simon Nathan used the performance of the eighth placer in Manchester as the standard for 2006. Fair enough you might think but he did not take into account that many events such as, for instance, the women’s javelin may have only had nine entries with the standard tapering off markedly after the first six. In fact, the mark achieved by the eighth-placer in many of the technical events was by world standards not even mediocre. Fast forward to the present and only one spot remains to be filled of the seven allocated to athletics by the NI Commonwealth Games Council. The six athletes who have met the standard based on Nathan’s calculations are Ben Houghton (javelin), Michael Allen (javelin), James McIlroy (800m), Brendan McConville (decathlon), Zoe Brown (pole vault) and Eva Massey (shot). With the exception of McIlroy not exactly household names and exponents of technical events in a Commonwealth made up to a great degree by Third World countries which rely on natural sprinting speed or innate endurance for distance-running. It’s difficult to recall any Kenyan discus throwers or Ugandan hammer throwers winning medals on the international stage. Now consider the quality of the athletes who are scurrying all over Europe this weekend in order to make the plane to Australia. Paul Brizzel (100m/200m), Paul McKee (400m), Gareth Turnbull (1500m) and Anna Boyle (100m/200m). All have represented Ireland in major championships in the past two years. However, they are disadvantaged under the selection standards because they compete in events where a Commonwealth title is extremely difficult to win and still retain some credibility on the global athletics scene. All four are in action this weekend. Brizzel who represented Ireland in the Olympics as recently as twelve months ago chases a 20.80 mark in two separate meetings Slovakia over the weekend. Paul McKee has been improving gradually all season after being sidelined through injury and illness for over a year after taking a World Indoor bronze in 2003. The Beechmount man ran 46.63 seconds in Switzerland last Sunday but needs a 46.00 clocking in Cardiff on Monday to be guaranteed his ticket to the Antipodes. Another man who has more than his fair share of injuries is Gareth Turnbull who ran reportedly ran around three minutes 43 seconds for 1500 metres in Watford on Wednesday night but will be making another stab at the 3:40:00 standard in Manchester on Tuesday. Finally, Anna Boyle is good enough to have set an Irish 100 metres record on this season, finished fifth in the European U23 Championships and took a relay bronze medal at World Student Games Yet could well be watching the Commonwealths from her Dunloy home unless she manages 11.45 seconds for the short sprint in Fribourg, Switzerland tomorrow. What was it Oliver Hardy used to say - another fine mess?
|