2 June 2007 Update:
Paul Hession breaks Irish 100m record at a meet in Athens.
His time of 10.28 shatters the old record of 10.35 jointly held by Gary Ryan and Paul Brizzell.
Paul beat quality fields to take a 100m & 200m double.
http://www.athletix.org/Results07/Kalamata_out07.html
http://www.rte.ie/sport/2007/0603/hessionp.html
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Congratulations to Paul Hession upon his securing of valuable sponsorship
in his drive to compete in the Beijing Olympics next year.
See http://www.galwayindependent.com/sport/12026.html or below!
(Image Caption) ON TARGET... Sprinter Paul Hession with Simon
Coffey, Director of Coffey Group, at the announcement of the
firm's sponsorship of the Athenry athlete.
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Sprinter Hession sets his sights on Beijing Olympics
by John Fallon
Athenry sprinter Paul Hession has received a timely boost as he
continues his bid to make it to the Olympic Games in Beijing next
year.
The 24 year old is currently in superb form and is expected to
make the Olympic qualifying time this year.
He has taken a break from his medical studies -- he has four
years of his degree at NUIG completed -- to train full-time in
preparation for the World Championships in Japan this year and
the Olympics in China twelve months later.
Accordingly, the decision by the Coffey Group, which has its
headquarters outside Athenry, to come on board as his main
sponsor is a major boost.
Hession splits his time between Ireland and Scotland, where his
coach Stuart Hogg is based.
"It is a huge boost for the Coffey Group to support me in this
way, not least as they are a highly successful local company with
a proven track record worldwide.
"Their support allows me to concentrate fully on my preparations
and I am grateful to them for helping me achieve this," said
Hession.
Simon Coffey, a director of the Coffey Group, said they were
delighted to be backing a local Athenry athlete in his bid to
perform at the Olympics.
The Coffey Group was founded by his father Paddy in 1974 and
since then has grown into a large enterprise in the building,
environmental and civil engineering fields at home and abroad.
The company employs 80 people at its headquarters near Athenry
and a further 600 people at its various sites at home and abroad.
"We have know Paul over the years and have been impressed by his
performances and his progress so we are delighted to be helping
him out in this way.
"He is an extremely dedicated and talented athlete and we wish
him continued success in the future,' said Simon Coffey.
Hession's primary aim this year is the World Championships in
Japan and his training regime is geared for him to peak at that
time.
His primary race is the 200m but he will also run 100m at several
events in June at meetings in Greece, Norway, Finland,
Switzerland and here in Ireland.
"June will be a busy month and we have the national championships
here in July, so it will be pretty hectic.
"I need to clock 20.59 to qualify for the Olympics and have a
personal best of 20.56 from last year. So I will be aiming for a
new personal best this year and that will be more than enough to
see me through," he added.