Ava O’Connor of Team Ireland pictured at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Blanchardstown ahead of the European Games. Photo: Harry Murphy/Sportsfile
Tullamore Harriers athlete Ava O’Connor has been selected to compete for Ireland at the European Games in Krakow.
O’Connor, from Emo in Co. Laois, has run for Tullamore Harriers AC for a number of years, winning several honours while representing the club.
A former student of Scoil Chriost Rí, Portlaoise, Ava embarked on a scholarship with Adams State University in Colorado a few years ago.
O’Connor, who will compete in the 3000 metres steeplechase, is one of 44 Irish athletes selected by the Olympic Federation of Ireland for the European Games (see list below).
This is the third edition of the European Games, which is a multi-sport event run by the European Olympic Committees and will see athletes compete across districts in the Krakow-Malopolska region of Poland.
The competition takes place in the Silesian Stadium in Chorzow, and runs from June 20 until June 26, with the Irish athletes competing on the first three days.
While athletics has featured on the European Games programme since 2015, this is the first time that it holds European Championship status, with it doubling up as the European Team Championships.
Team Ireland will be competing in Division Three, with the main objective of the team being to gain enough points and strong enough performances to move into Division Two. A full athletics programme of action will be featured during the Games, and this will be the first outing for Athletics Ireland athletes under their new sprint coach, Christian Malcolm.
The following countries are in the third division,: Bosnia & Herzegovina, Malta, Montenegro, Georgia, Armenia, Andorra, Republic of North Macedonia, San Marino, Albania, AASSE (Athletic Association of the Small States of Europe), Azerbaijan, Kosovo, Austria, Ireland and Israel.
Team Ireland will feature some of the up-and-coming talents in Irish athletics, as well as some seasoned names like Thomas Barr, Sarah Lavin, Phil Healy and Israel Olatunde.
Paul McNamara, Athletics Ireland Director of High Performance, said: “The European Team Championships is an outstanding event with a novel team format that differentiates it from other major championships. It is akin to the European Cross Country Championships in that it provides a gauge of our standing in European Athletics.
“The format gives an opportunity to emerging athletes to compete alongside many of our very best, and all compete with the overall aim of team success. We find ourselves in Division 3 as a result of having skipped this event in 2021, due to Covid restrictions, and we have the sole aim of earning automatic promotion.”
Team Ireland athletics competitors
Israel Olatunde (UCD AC/Louth) 100m (M), 4 x 100m (M) Relay
Mark Smyth (Raheny Shamrock AC) 200m (M), 4 x 100m (M) Relay
Jack Raftery (UCD AC) 400m (M), Mixed 4 x 400m Relay
James Ezeonu (Leevale AC) 100m H (M)
Thomas Barr (Ferrybank AC/Waterford) 400m H (M), Mixed 4 x 400m Relay
Rocco Zaman-Browne (Dundrum South Dublin AC) 800m (M)
Cathal Doyle (Clonliffe Harriers, Dublin) 1500m (M)
Fearghal Curtin (Youghal AC) 5000m (M)
Finley Daly (Sligo AC) 3000m SC (M)
David Cussen (Old Abbey AC, Cork) High Jump (M)
Reece Ademola (Leevale AC) Long Jump (M)
Michael Bowler (Swinford AC, Mayo) Pole Vault (M)
Jai Benson (Lagan Valley AC) Triple Jump (M)
Eric Favors (Raheny Shamrock AC/Ballina) Shot Put (M)
Colin Quirke (Crusaders AC, Dublin) Discus Throw
Sean Mockler (Moycarkey Coolcroo AC, Tipperary) Hammer Throw (M)
Conor Cusack (Lake District AC, Mayo) Javelin
Oliver Swinney (Speed Development Project Track AC) 4 x 100m (M) Relay
Nelvin Appiah (Longford AC) 4 x 100m (M) Relay
Christopher Sibanda (Clonliffe Harriers) 4 x 100m (M) Relay
Joseph Ojewumi (Tallaght AC) 4 x 100m (M) Relay
Callum Baird (Ballymena & Antrim AC) Mixed 4 x 400m Relay
Lauren Roy (City of Lisburn, Antrim) 100m (F), 4 x 100m (F) Relay
Phil Healy (Bandon AC, Cork) 200m (F), 4 x 100m (F) Relay, Mixed 4 x 400m Relay
Sharlene Mawdsley (Newport AC) 400m (F), Mixed 4 x 400m Relay
Sarah Lavin (Emerald AC/Limerick) 100m H (F), 4 x 100m (F) Relay
Kelly McGrory (Tir Chonall AC) 400m H (F), 4 x 400m (F) Relay
Louise Shanahan (Leevale AC) 800m (F)
Sophie O’Sullivan (Ballymore Cobh AC, Cork) 1500m (F)
Aoibhe Richardson (Kilkenny City Harriers) 5000m (F)
Ava O’Connor (Tullamore Harriers, Offaly) 3000m SC (F)
Ruby Millet (St. Abban’s AC, Co. Laois) Long Jump (F)
Saragh Buggy (St. Abban’s AC) Triple Jump (F)
Sommer Lecky (Finn Valley AC) High Jump (F)
Ellie McCartney (City of Lisburn AC) Pole Vault (F)
Michaela Walsh (Swinford AC) Shot Put (F)
Grace Casey (Clonliffe Harriers) Javelin (F)
Niamh Fogarty (Raheny Shamrock AC) Discus Throw (F)
Nicola Tuthill (UCD AC/Cork) Hammer Throw (F)
Adeyemi Talabi (Longford AC) 4 x 100m (F) Relay
Joan Healy (Leevale AC) 4 x 100m (F) Relay
Sarah Leahy (Killarney Valley) 4 x 100m (F) Relay
Mollie O’Reilly (Dundrum South Dublin) 4 x 100m (F) Relay
Roisin Harrison (Emerald AC, Limerick) Mixed 4 x 400m Relay