Highs and Lows of the AIT International Grand Prix...Wed 18th Feb 2015

The AIT International Arena Athletics Grand Prix was held in Athlone on Wednesday the 18th of February 2015. It would seem that all didn't go according to plan with a torrent of criticism last night and today on various social media sources.

Some of the main issues seem to have been...
1) Numerous fault starts in the sprint events...so many that it seemed to be more equipment related than anything to do with the athletes.
2) The clock didn't start for the womens 60m final and some of the international athletes refused to re-run the race.
3) TV coverage that ended in the middle of the first sub 4 minute indoor mile in Ireland.

On the Jumping the Gun website, athletics columnist Cathal Dennehy didn't mince his words when he said the following...."It’s not an unusual occurrence in Irish athletics, where the very idea that you criticise someone who is volunteering is usually seen as blasphemous. Does this mean, though, that any such incompetence should be excused, that we should all just lope along and accept that in Ireland, the attitude of ‘ah sure, look, it’ll be grand’ will always prevail?"

One of the highlights of the night was Mutaz Essa Barshim from Qater in the high jump with an Asian indoor record of 2:41m. He was so far over the bar that there is a very real possibility that he may well break the world record of 2.45m in the not too distant future.


The full results can be seen at... http://www.ait.ie/aboutaitandathlone/newsevents/pressreleases/2015pressreleases/title-29636-en.html