Mixed relay athlete Jack Raftery pictured ahead of the World Athletics Championships which take place in Tokyo from September 13-21
Photo by Sportsfile
Donore’s Raftery all set for Worlds
THE Irish squad for the World Athletics Championship has been revealed with Donore Harriers athlete Jack Raftery making the cut.
The championships are set to take place next weekend from September 13 to the 21st.
Raftery will be representing Ireland in Tokyo in the 400m relay and is currently on the provisional listing for the individual 400m event, pending an invite from World Athletics to meet the quota.
The Donore Harriers athlete has consistently shown that he is the best 400m men’s athlete in the country winning gold in the last two national championships.
His season best for this year has seen him beat the 45 second barrier clocking in a time of 44.98 becoming the second Irishman in history to do so with only David Gillick managing 44.77 back in 2010. For reference this time would have seen Raftery place eighth at the Paris Olympics.
Unfortunately Tallaght AC athletes Rhasidat Adeleke and Israel Olatunde will not be making an appearance at the World Championships in Tokyo.
Adeleke ultimately elected to withdraw after an unfortunate season that was blighted by injuries, Olatunde has dealt with his own difficulties also and was unable to reach the form required to compete in Tokyo.
Some of the more familiar athletes that will be representing Ireland at the upcoming world championships include:
- Sarah Healy (Women’s 1500m),
- Kate O’Connor (Women’s Heptathlon),
- Mark English (Men’s 800m),
- Sarah Lavin (100mH),
- Nicola Tuthill (Hammer),
- Andrew Coscoran (1500m),
- Cathal Doyle (1500m),
- Sophie Becker (Women’s 400m, Mixed 4x400m Relay and Women’s 4x400m Relay),
- Sharlene Mawdsley (Women’s 400m, Mixed 4x400m Relay and Women’s 4x400m Relay).
