There's world class athletics in town tonight

Kevin O'Neill

ANTICIPATION is building ahead of the fourth staging of the Athlone IT International Grand Prix in international indoor arena this evening (Wednesday, February 15).

The event will see stars from the athletics world descending on Athlone.
And even though this year's event will go ahead without one of the star draws, the high jumper Mutaz Essa Barshim, the event still promises to be as spectacular and successful as before with athletes of the calibre of 2012

Olympic gold medalist Sally Pearson, Melaine Bishop, who won a silver medal at the 2015 World Championships and Eric Sowinksi and Lorraine Ugen, who both took bronze in last year's World Indoor Championships.

One of the highlights of the event will be the men’s 600m race. The 600m event might not be a standard distance at major championships but at the 2017 AIT Grand Prix, it will be one of the most widely anticipated. This distance allows top quality 400m and 800m athletes to face off and test their mettle outside of the major championship scene. 

Potentially every athlete in the field is capable of breaking the 600m indoor world record, according to Competition Director Paul McNamara.

The 600m indoor world record currently stands at 1.15.12 and was set way back in 1999 by the German Nico Motchenbon. 

The field for the 600m includes a former 400m Olympic Games Silver medalist from London, World Championship Bronze medalist and a Pan American Games winner, Luguelin Santos from the Dominican Republic; a European indoor 800m silver medalist and European outdoor 800m bronze medalist in Ireland's Mark English; a European outdoor 800m silver medalist in Poland's Artur Kuciapski and American Eric Sowinski who currently holds a bronze medal from last year’s World Championships in Portland.
The field will be completed by two former European Junior champions Great Britain's Kyle Langford and Spaniard Kevin Lopez who also is a European Indoor Championships silver medalist.

There will be ten events in total (men's and women) with Ireland's European Championship bronze medalist Ciara Mageean the big local name in the women's 1500m race.

2017 events are as follows:
Women: 60m, 60mH, Long Jump, 800m and 1500m. Men: 60m, 400m, 600m, High Jump and finally the Mile.
Doors Open: 6pm. Event Start: 6.30pm.Ticket Prices: Seated €20 - Standing Tickets €10.Tickets Online: www.aitsport.ie