Brian Gregan, Sarah Lavin & David McCarthy Headline 2014 AAI Games

Ireland's number one 400m athlete Brian Gregan (Clonliffe Harriers AC) will headline a stacked 200m field at the 2014 AAI Open Games. European Junior silver medallist Sarah Lavin (UCD AC) continues her transition into the senior ranks as she is set to compete in both the 100m and 100m hurdles events. While 2014 World Indoor 1,500m representative David McCarthy (West Waterford AC) makes his return to competition after a spell out due to injury in the 1,500m.

In an exciting addition to the programme Ireland's junior men's relay squad will compete in a 4x100m relay event as they begin their quest to run the 40.10 qualifying standard for the World Junior Track and Field Championships in Eugene, Oregan in July.

All the action from the event will be streamed live via the Athletics Ireland website in partnership with broadcast providers Aertv.

Event Preview
After a successful training stint in America, Gregan drops down in distance to the 200m and faces a strong field which includes Steven Colvert (Crusaders AC) and 2014 national indoor 60m champion David Hynes (Menapians AC). Rising sprint stars Marcus Lawler (St Laurence O'Toole AC) and Zac Irwin (Sligo AC) are both competing in what is likely to be one of the closest races of the day.

Lavin in her first year in the senior ranks will start as favourite in the 100m hurdles with rival Catherine McManus (Celtic DCH) also in the line-up. The women's 100m race is set to be a thriller with Lavin lining up against sprint specialists Phil Healy (Bandon AC), Louise Kiernan (Fingallians AC), Niamh Whelan (Ferrybank AC) and McManus. Healy was the outstanding performer of the indoor season setting a new Irish U23 record of 7.36 for the 60m.

Timmy Crowe (Dooneen AC) competes in the men's 400m having enjoyed a successful indoor campaign which included a 47.29 indoor personal best. Harry Purcell (Trim AC) was the standout performer at the recent Aviva Leinster Schools Championships recording a time of 47.82 is also in the line-up.

McCarthy just missed out on a spot in the final in the 1,500m at the IAAF World Indoor Championships in Sopot, Poland in March. The AAI Games marks McCarthy's first competitive race since then as he lines up in the 1,500m against John Coghlan (MSB AC) and Andrew Corscoran (Star of the Sea AC).

Ireland's top ranked 800m athlete Laura Crowe (Riocht AC) is the leading name in the women's 800m. Junior athlete Siofra Cleirigh Buttner (Dundrum South Dublin AC) targets a fast time over 1,500m in a year where the World Junior Track and Field Championships in Eugene, Oregan is her top priority.

Relays
Another group of athletes with Oregan on their mind is the junior men's relay squad with athletes of the quality of Lawler, Irwin and Keith Doherty (Tallaght AC) on the team they could go close to the national record of 40.60. Under the guidance of junior men's relay coordinator Daniel Kilgallon this will be the squad's first competitive outing of the season. The next planned race for the squad will be a meeting in Geneva on June 14th. The required qualifying time of 40.10 for the World Juniors will be the squad's major goal for the season.

In the women's Pole Vault event Zoe Brown (Raheny Shamrock AC) and Claire Wilkinson (Ballymena & Antrim AC) will go head to head with Ian Rogers (Clonliffe Harriers AC) starting favourite in the men's event.

Sean Breathnach (Galway City Harriers AC) and John Kelly (Finn Valley AC) are both over 15m already this year will renew rivalry in the men's shot putt