February 16, 2011
By Staff Reporter
“I’m ready for Paris now,” she said after winning the national championship. “I’ve done lots of training, so the main thing was just to get a few races to sharpen up. And I do expect to be competitive in a Paris now, and to keep it up as long as I can.
“But I know I’m not the favorite. I just intend running the best that I can, and if I come away with a medal then I’m going to be very happy.”
O’Sullivan was named as part of the 16-strong Irish squad that will be going to the championships. Also included is Ireland’s other main medal hope, 20-kilometer walker Gillian O’Sullivan. She also won her national title last weekend, beating Olive Loughnane into second place. Loughnane could take consolation in having achieved the qualifying standard to go to the championships. Ireland’s other female competitors in Paris will be 400-meter runner Karen Shinkins, 10,000-meter runner Marie Davenport and 100-meter hurdler Derval O’Rourke.
The men’s team will be made up of Paul Brizzel (200 meters and 1,600-meter relay), Paul McKee (400 and 1,600 relay), Gareth Turnbull (1,500), Cathal Lombard
(5,000 and 10,000), Peter Coghlan (110 hurdles), and Jamie Costin (50-kilometer walk), as well as David Gillick, David McCarthy, Paul Opperman and Gary Ryan, who
will run in relays.