Athletics Ireland: Chamney called to double up in Berlin

THOMAS CHAMNEY is to double up at the World Championships in Berlin later this month after being selected for both the 800 and 1,500 metres as part of the 14-strong Irish team. Chamney made it clear after winning the national 800 metres in Santry last Sunday that he would like to run in both races, and felt he was in the type of physical shape to do himself justice in the two events.

So while Chamney will get two cracks at the World Championships, it means there is no place for David Campbell. Although he too had the B-standard over 800 metres, losing to Chamney last Sunday effectively ended his hopes of a ticket to Berlin.

It’s still a demanding schedule for the 25-year-old Clonmel-born Chamney with three rounds in both events although he has a rest day in the 1,500 metres between the heat and semi-final.

The Irish team is evenly split between seven men and seven women, 10 with the A-standard and four with the B-Standard marks; Chamney, and three women representatives, Deirdre Byrne in the 1,500 metres, Michelle Carey in the 400 metres hurdles and Deirdre Ryan in the high jump.

Olive Loughnane is one of the outside medal prospects, as the top Irish finisher in the Beijing Olympics, where she placed seventh in the 20km walk, as well as Robbie Heffernan, who was eighth in the men’s equivalent, and both of whom showed excellent form in Santry over the weekend.

David Gillick is duly named in the 400 metres where the Dubliner is the highest placed Irish athlete in the world rankings for 2009, his 44.77 seconds for the 400 metres still joint fourth.

Paul Hession, who came so close to making the 200 metres final in Beijing, is fully confident he will be 100 per cent ready to do himself justice in Berlin despite having to withdraw from the 100m on Sunday after winning his heat. He said he simply did not feel well but felt it was a temporary glitch.

The same applies to hurdles star, Derval O’Rourke, who was diagnosed with a chest infection which kept her on the sideline on Sunday, having fulfilled a busy programme the previous few days.

IRISH TIMES