Leon Reid will make his bow for Team Ireland at the European Championships on Wednesday night, after being been cleared to run just five days ago.
Athletics Ireland had provisionally selected the English-born athlete, whose mother hails from Belfast, but there was some doubt as to whether he would fulfil the criteria for international transfers in time for the Championships, which include 75% residency and having requested a transfer three years previously.
However, the IAAF Nationality Review Panel confirmed last Friday that Menapians athlete Reid is now eligible to represent Ireland in national representative competitions.
He's an Irish double national champion and will compete in the 100m and 200m events in Berlin.
"He's a top athlete," RTÉ Sport analyst Jerry Kiernan said. "He's actually good enough to run for Britain. It's not as if he's a 'B' athlete from Britain deciding he wants to go to major games running for Ireland. He could run for Britain as well. He wants to run for us.
"His connection is well established. It's not a tenuous connection. He is good. He's run faster than Paul Hession has ever run in his life - 20.27. I can see nothing but positives about this outcome. I'm delighted he's running with us."
"Leon Reid's case is so, so different...He is good enough to run for Team GB. He wanted to run for us." - Jerry Kiernan explains the background of the Irish sprinter's transfer.
— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) August 6, 2018
Watch the European Championships live now on RTÉ2 pic.twitter.com/R7sIXJ97ON
IRISH IN ACTION
Athletics
0950 Men's 200m Rd1 - Marcus Lawler
**Semi at 1915 if he progresses**
1915 Men's 200m Semi - Leon Reid
1940 Women's 10000m FINAL - Emma Mitchell
Swimming
0916 Men's 50m Free heats - Calum Bain, Robbie Powell
0939 Men's 100m Fly heats - Brendan Hyland
0955 Women's 50m Breast heats - Mona McSharry
*POSS evening swims should they progress*
Road Cycling
0900 Women's Time Trial - Eileen Burns, Kelly Murphy
1300 Men's Time Trial - Ryan Mullen, Eddie Dunbar
Diving
0930 Women's 10m Platform Preliminary - Tanya Watson
Golf
0945 Men's Team v Italy - Neil O'Briain & Michael Hoey
