Britton & O'Rourke Pre-Selected for European Team Championships & Woodie's DIY AAI Games Preview

Athletics Ireland are also delighted to announce a number of pre-selections for the European Team Championships 1st League scheduled for Morton Stadium on the 22nd and 23rd of June. The athletes pre-selected are; Derval O'Rourke (Leevale AC) 100m hurdles, Fionnuala Britton (Kilcoole AC) 5,000m, Tori Pena (Finn Valley AC) Pole Vault and Kelly Proper (Ferrybank AC) Long Jump.

Team Manager Patsy McGonagle commented "Derval represented Ireland in a team event for the first time at the European Cup in Bydgoszcz in 2000. She has amassed a huge number of points in the interim always responding positively to selection and has been a key member of the squad up to this point. She leads by example and will be an inspiration to the rest of the Irish team."

Chair of High Performance Ray Flynn commented "All four athletes pre-selected are event leaders in their respective disciplines and the selectors have the upmost confidence in the girls to score maximum points for Team Ireland in what should be a great weekend of Athletics on June 22nd and 23rd in Morton Stadium."

The final selection for the Irish team for the European Team Championships 1st League will be made on Monday, 10th of June.

The Woodie's DIY AAI Games take place in Morton Stadium this Sunday, 9th of June. There are over 200 athletes entered, with many of Ireland's top sprinters coming to Morton Stadium. Irish record holder and multiple major championship medallist O'Rourke headlines the women's 100m hurdles field at the AAI Games. O'Rourke comes into the event having run 13.42 in Baie, Mahault on the 8th of May, a quicker time is on the cards if conditions are favourable on Sunday. Sarah Lavin (Emerald AC) recently broke O'Rourke's National Junior record when she ran 13.45 in Geneva on the 1st of June and will be aiming to go even quicker as she squares off against O'Rourke.

After his record breaking run at the Aviva All Ireland Schools Championships last weekend Marcus Lawler is entered in both the 100m and 200m events. Lawler's scintillating national junior record of 20.87 was the performance of the championships as Lawler's season continues to build momentum. David Hynes (Menapians AC), Dean Power (Tullamore Harriers AC), Zak Irwin (Sligo AC), Jamie Davis (Raheny Shamrock AC) and Keith Pike (Clonliffe Harriers AC) make up a classy field in the men's sprint events.

The women's 100m event promises to be one of the closest races of the day with many of Ireland's best female sprinters set to compete. Alis McSweeney (Leevale AC), Joan Healy (Bandan AC), Catherine McManus (Celtic DCH), Steph Creaner (Celtic DCH), Sarah Murray (Fingallians AC), Louise Kiernan (Fingallians AC), Leah Moore (Clonliffe Harriers AC) and Louise Holmes (Kilkenny City Harriers AC) will all be in the hunt for fast times.

The women's 400m event is likely to be a battle between 2013 National Indoor 400m Champion Shauna Cannon (Brothers Pearse AC) and 800m specialist Siofra Cleirigh Buttner (Dundrum South Dublin AC). Cannon recorded a new personal best of 54.91 in Oordegem, Belgium signalling her form is on an upward curve. Siofra drops down in distance to test her speed after recording an impressive time of 2:03.81 on route to victory at the schools championships.

Joseph Dowling (Dundrum South Dublin AC) and Dara Kervick (Carrick-on-Suir A.C) are ranked 4th and 6th respectively on the 2013 top performance list in the 400m and both athletes will renew their rivalry on Sunday. Eoin Mulhall (Crusaders AC), Brian Murphy (Crusaders AC), Timmy Crowe (Doneen AC) and Craig Lynch (Shercock AC) make up a high quality men's field which could prove to be the race of the day.

Newly crowned Irish Heptathlon Record Holder Kelly Proper will contest a number of events throughout the day including the long jump and 200m. Junior athlete Sarah McCarthy (Mid Sutton AC) will lead the challenge in the women's long jump event. Jamie Murtagh (St. Andrews AC) and Barry Pender (St Abbans AC) will battle it out in the men's high jump with Murtagh's clearance of 2.10m at the schools championships putting him second on the 2013 rankings.

Tomas Rauktys (Clonliffe Harriers AC) and Sean Brathnach (Galway City Harriers AC) will renew rivalry in the shot and discus. Conor Bradley (City of Derry AC) and Mark Hanrahan (Leevale AC) lead the entries in the men's 800m and 1500m events.

The action begins on the track at 11.45 with the men's 400m hurdles and in the field with the hammer for men and women starting at 10.30am.