LEON REID HAS been included in the list of 25 athletes officially selected for the Team Ireland athletics squad for the Tokyo Olympics.
Today’s squad announcement confirms athletes who had been in events which had Olympic ranking open until the end of June, and includes athletes who both achieved qualification standards in their respective events or had finished within the rankings on the cut off day last week. A seven-strong team for the Marathon and 50km Race Walk events had also been confirmed last month.
And Reid, 26, will be among those travelling with the athletics squad to Tokyo. Last month, the sprinter denied eight charges relating to drugs and firearms offences in England, with the 26-year-old appearing at Bristol Crown Court via video-link along with 17 other defendants.
Last week Reid ran a time of 20.79 seconds in winning the men’s 200m event at the National Track and Field Championships in Santry.
Phil Healy, meanwhile, is set to compete in three different events in Tokyo. Healy, 26, will race in the 200m and 400m events, and has also been included in the 4x400m mixed relay team.
“It is a real honour for any athlete to be selected to represent their country at the Olympic Games,” Healy said.
“To achieve qualification in one event is a dream for any athlete as the Olympic Games is the pinnacle of any athletes career. I am thrilled to be selected for two individual events in addition to the mixed 4x400m relay. Every athlete has worked so hard to get to this point and it’s made all the more special to have such a large and strong athletics team heading to the Games.”
Thomas Barr, who finished fourth in the 400m hurdles at the 2016 Rio Games, will also be on the plane to Tokyo.
“I am very proud to be representing Ireland at my second Olympic Games,” Barr said.
“The men’s 400m hurdles is one of the most competitive events on the track at the moment and I can’t wait to line up and compete against the best on the biggest stage in the world.”
The Olympic athletics events will take place in the second week of the games, running from Friday 30 July to Sunday 8 August.
Team Ireland now consists of 114 officially selected athletes – the largest team to represent Ireland yet, with one remaining team announcement (Judo) on 12 July.
Team Ireland Athletics Team
Individuals
Thomas Barr (400m Hurdles)
Síofra Cléirigh Büttner (800m)
Andrew Coscoran (1500m)
Mark English (800m)
Michelle Finn (3,000m Steeplechase)
Eilish Flanagan (3,000m Steeplechase)
Phil Healy (200m/400m/400m Relay)
Sarah Healy (1500m)
David Kenny (20K Walk)
Sarah Lavin (100H)
Marcus Lawler (200m)
Ciara Mageean (1500m)
Nadia Power (800m)
Leon Reid (200m)
Louise Shanahan (800m)
Mixed 4 x 400m Relay Team (4 athletes from the following 6):
Cillin Greene
Chris O’Donnell
Phil Healy
Sophie Becker
Robert McDonnell
Cliodhna Manning
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