The selected athletes are...
Robert Heffernan Podium (€40k)...(2014 = €40k, 2013 = €40k, 2012 = €40k).
Fionnuala Britton World Class (€20k)....(2014 = €20k, 2013 = €20k, 2012 = €20k)
Ciarán Ó Lionáird World Class (€20K)...(2014 = €12k, 2013 = €20k, 2012 = €20k).
Mark English World Class (€20K)...(2014 = €12k, 2013 = €0k, 2012 = €0k).
Paul Robinson World Class (€20K)...(2014 = €12k, 2013 = €0k, 2012 = €0k).
Thomas Barr World Class (€20k)...(2014 = €0k, 2013 = €0k, 2012 = €0k)
Brian Gregan International (€12K)...(2014 = €12k, 2013 = €12k, 2012 = €0k).
Laura Reynolds International (€12K)...(2014 = €12k, 2013 = €12k, 2012 = €0k).
Brendan Boyce International (€12K)...(2014 = €12k, 2013 = €12k, 2012 = €12k)
Alex Wright International (€12k)...(Recently declared for Ireland having represented Britain before).
Those who got grants in 2014 and will get nothing in 2015 are...Jessie Barr (400m hurdles), Rose-Anne Galligan (800m) and Derval O'Rourke (now retired).
In 2014, one person got €40k, one got €20k and nine got €12k.
In 2015, it's one €40k, five €20k and four €12k.
As you can see above, this is a marked increase with 5 now on €20k as opposed to just one last year.
Considering that Rob Heffernan is the current 50km race walking world champion, he was always guaranteed to get the maximum amount.
Fionnuala Britton won the European Cross Country Championhips in 2011 and 2012 as well as finishing 3rd in the European Indoor 3000m in Sweden in 2013. She also led the Irish team to a team Bronze at the European Cross Country Championships last December.
Ciarán Ó Lionáird was cut last year from €20k to €12k despite winning a bronze medal in the 3000m at the European Indoor Championships in March 2013. He now moves back up to €20k.
Mark English who won a Silver medal in the 800m at the recent European Indoor Championships moves up to €20k also.
2014 was a breakthrough year for both Paul Robinson and Thomas Barr as they improved their performance times significantly. They both move up to €20k.
One of those who got a grant for €12k was racewalker Brendan Boyce. At a recent 50k race in the Slovak Republic, he finished just behind Rob Heffernan for a new PB. If he can put in a performance like that in a major championships then he should be another one on track for an increase next year.
Previous posts...
2014 grants
2013 grants
2012 grants
2011 grants
Just goes to show that we're not serious about supporting our athletes. If we want our athletes to have a good chance to compete internationally, they should be able to make training their priority. Either allow an athlete to go full time or not. The smaller grants look like token grants to me (though of course, they are still better than nothing).
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