Ciara Mageean and Rhasidat Adeleke headline Irish squad for World Athletic Championships

Athletics Ireland will send a squad of 23 to the upcoming World Championships in Budapest, with Ciara Mageean, Mark English, Thomas Barr, Sarah Lavin and Rhasidat Adeleke spearheading the Irish challenge in the Hungarian capital from 19-27 August.

There is the potential for further additions to the squad in the coming days in what will be the largest team that Ireland has sent to the Worlds.

Ciara Mageean will head to Budapest full of confidence having smashed Sonia O'Sullivan’s long-standing national mile record last month with an incredible 4.14.58.

Mageean will be joined in the 1500m by European under-23 medallists Sophie O’Sullivan and Sarah Healy.

Mark English returns to the 800m and will be joined by the in-form and newly crowned national 800m champion John Fitzsimons (Kildare AC), while Thomas Barr returns to the 400m hurdles having looked very sharp in the Nationals last weekend.

Rhasidat Adeleke takes to her second World Championships having broken her own Irish 400m with a 49.20 in June to claim gold at the NCAA Championships, becoming the first Irish sprinter ever to win an NCAA title.

Much expectation has been put on the shoulders of the 20-year-old Tallaght sprinter, and while her appearance at Oregon 2022 is sure to stand to her at this year’s championships, the women’s 400m looks one of the hottest events in world athletics at present.

Adeleke will be joined in the 400m by Sharlene Mawdsley (Newport AC) who has moved to another level this season, ranking fourth on the Irish all-time list thanks to her 51.34 in June. The Tipperary star also looks set to play a leading role in the relays.

Sarah Lavin is also no stranger to World Championship finals having made the World Indoor 60m hurdles final in Belgrade last year