Athletics – Smyth & Pena on Irish team for World Championships

Sprinter Jason Smyth and Pole Vaulter Tori Pena have been selected on the Irish team for this month’s World Championships in Daegu, South Korea from the 27th of August to the 4th of September. City of Derry’s double Para-Olympian Jason Smyth is included after running a personal best of 10.22 in Clermont, Florida back in May. That time was just four hundredths off Paul Hession’s Irish record. The Derry man who is coached by Stephen Maguire and is based in Florida produced another solid performance to win the 100m in 10.52 at the nationals last weekend. Maguire from Strabane will also be heading to the World’s as one of the coaches under team manager Patsy McGonagle. Finn Valley’s American based Tori Pena has been rewarded with selection after setting  a new Irish record to achieve the B qualification standard. Pena has improved the Irish record six times this season, cumulating in the 4.40m which was set last Monday at the Nationales Stabhochsprung meeting in Switzerland to achieve the B standard. Letterkenny AC’s Brendan Boyce who had the B qualification standard for the walk event has chosen to focus on the World University Games in China.