Tipperary stars gear up for Under 20 and Under 23 Indoor Athletics Championships


The cream of country's young athletes are heading for Athlone
The TUS International Arena in Athlone is set to welcome the rising stars of Irish athletics, including athletes from Tipperary, as they take to competition at the 123.ie Under 20 and Under 23 Indoor Championships on Sunday.
The Under 20 division is sure to offer lots of exciting events throughout the day, with a potential clash between last year’s European Under 18 bronze medallist Joe Burke (Templemore AC) and Luke Timlin (Crusaders AC) over 200 metres one not to be missed.
The men’s 200 metres race at Under 23 could come down to a dual between Andrew Egan (Galway City Harriers) and Padraic Hassett (Nenagh Olympic), with Hassett looking to regain his crown from 2023.
Also at Under 23, Laura Frawley (Nenagh Olympic) looks set for a busy day and could grab another medal in the women’s 60 metres hurdles race. Frawley may have to get by Arabella Adekoya (SLOT), who is unlikely to relinquish her title too easily on the back of her senior bronze behind Sarah Lavin and clubmate Molly Scott.
The field events look set to deliver some of the most enthralling match-ups of the day, no more so than the women’s long jump where Laura Frawley (Nenagh Olympic AC) and Grace Fitzgerald (St Abbans AC) will renew acquaintances.
Frawley could also go in the high jump, where competition looks just as fierce, with Aoife O’Sullivan out to defend her title on the back of an impressive indoor season, which has been topped with a senior bronze thanks to a 1.75 metres clearance.
Nenagh’s Ava Rochford will likely have a say in the direction of Sunday’s high jump medals.