rewrite this content and keep HTML tags
Athletics Ireland have this morning announced the final team selection for the upcoming 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Japan.
A number of World and European medallists, as well as Olympians, will headline the team for the championships which take place at the Japan National Stadium from September 13th to September 21st. Amongst them are Sarah Healy (Women’s 1500m), Kate O’Connor (Women’s Heptathlon), Sarah Lavin (100mH), Nicola Tuthill (Hammer), Sophie Becker (Women’s 400m, Mixed 4x400m Relay and Women’s 4x400m Relay), and Sharlene Mawdsley (Women’s 400m, Mixed 4x400m Relay and Women’s 4x400m Relay).
Sarah Healy (UCD AC) has accumulated significant championship experience at this stage of her career, with Tokyo marking the 24-year-old’s third appearance at the World Athletics Championships. The Dubliner, who is based in Manchester training with M11 Track Club, will compete in the Women’s 1500m having won the European indoor 3000m title in March.
Healy will be joined in the 1500m by fellow Olympian Sophie O’Sullivan (Ballymore Cobh AC), and Laura Nicholson of Bandon AC who was officially confirmed as qualified based on her ranking over the weekend.
Sarah Lavin will take to the World outdoors on the back of semi-final appearances at the two previous editions in Eugene (2022) and Budapest (2023). The Emerald AC sprinter will be looking to channel all her major championship experience as she looks to progress through the rounds in one of the most high-class events in Tokyo.
Irish field events will be well represented once more with European and World Indoor medallist and World University Games champion Kate O’Connor (Dundalk St. Gerard’s AC) looking to continue her outstanding season in the Women’s Heptathlon. O’Connor improved her Irish record in the seven-discipline event to 6487 points back in July.
2024 European Mixed 4x400m relay champion Sharlene Mawdsley (Newport AC) starred at the World Athletics Relays in Guangzhou, China in May helping both the Mixed and Women’s 4x400m relay teams qualify for these championships. She has been selected for both relays, as well as the Women’s 400m alongside teammate Sophie Becker (Raheny Shamrock AC).
The Irish relay teams offer a blend of youth and experience across both the mixed and women’s 4x400m events with Rachel McCann (North Down AC), Cliodhna Manning (Kilkenny City Harriers), Michelle Duggan (UCD AC), and Jenna Breen (City of Lisburn AC) completing the lineups.
European U23 and World University Games silver medallist Nicola Tuthill (UCD AC) is also selected. The Cork native will compete in the Women’s Hammer Throw, an event where she has improved her personal best and Irish U23 record to 71.75m this summer.
Marathon runner Fionnuala McCormack (Kilcoole AC) had been previously selected in May.
Speaking at today’s team announcement, Athletics Ireland Director of High Performance, Paul McNamara said: “2025 has been an outstanding year for Irish athletes at European and global championships, and this group is set to continue that upward trajectory in Tokyo. With higher qualification standards than ever before we have 21 individual athletes selected, plus two relay squads, which is the largest team we have ever sent to a World Championships.”
McNamara continued: “It’s the first year of this Olympic cycle, and this team includes multiple athletes, both seasoned campaigners and rising stars, that are primed to make an impact as they build towards LA 2028.”
The 20th edition of the World Athletics Championships will be broadcast live on RTÉ television for the first time this century, with the nine-day event starting on September 13th.
Tokyo 2025 Selections
Sarah HealyEvent: Women’s 1500mClub: UCD ACCoach: Trevor Painter & Jenny Meadows
Sophie O’SullivanEvent: Women’s 1500mClub: Ballymore Cobh ACCoach: Collis Birmingham
Laura NicholsonEvent: Women’s 1500mClub: Bandon ACCoach: Andrea McDonough
Sarah LavinEvent: Women’s 100m HurdlesClub: Emerald ACCoach: Noelle Morrissey
Sharlene MawdsleyEvents: Women’s 400m; Mixed 4x400m Relay; Women’s 4x400m RelayClub: Newport ACCoach: Tony Lester
Sophie BeckerEvents: Women’s 400m; Mixed 4x400m Relay; Women’s 4x400m RelayClub: Raheny Shamrock ACCoaches: Gerard O’Donnell & Aideen Sinnott
Kate O’ConnorEvent: Women’s HeptathlonClub: Dundalk St. Gerard’s ACCoaches: Michael O’Connor & Tom Reynolds
Nicola TuthillEvent: Women’s Hammer ThrowClub: UCD ACCoach: Killian Barry
Rachel McCannEvent: Mixed 4x400m Relay & Women’s 4x400m RelayClub: North Down ACCoach: Ian Neely
Cliodhna ManningEvent: Women’s 4x400m RelayClub: Kilkenny City HarriersCoach: Peter Lyons
Michelle DugganEvent: Women’s 4x400m RelayClub: UCD ACCoach: Adam McMullen
Jenna BreenEvent: Women’s 4x400m RelayClub: City of Lisburn ACCoach: Grant Barker
Erin Friel (Non-travelling reserve)Event: Women’s 4x400m RelayClub: Letterkenny ACCoach: Kathryn McDevitt
Fionnuala McCormackEvent: Women’s MarathonClub: Kilcoole ACCoach: Alan McCormack
