By John Haughey BBC Sport

Anna Boyle has improved her NI 100m record to 11.49 this summer

Unlike Allen, who was scheduled to represent Britain, Anna Boyle, Paul Brizzel and Paul McKee will be wearing the green vest of Ireland in Sweden.

Boyle and McKee go into the Championships after producing fine summer outdoor campaigns while 200m man Brizzel had the satisfaction of ducking under 21 seconds for the first time in over two years recently.

McKee's return to form after three years affected by illness and injury has been the feelgood story of Northern Ireland athletics this summer.

The Belfastman looked set to establish himself as a world-class performer when he claimed a bronze medal at the World Indoor Championships in Birmingham in 2003.

However, a hamstring injury and then a debilitating virus badly affected McKee for a two-year period and his deserved selection for these championships is a tribute to the Belfast man's resilience.

McKee ducked under 46 seconds for the first time in over three years with a 45.96 clocking at the recent Irish Championships recently and he believes that he is capable of improving still further in Gothenburg.

I'm going to run the heat like a final and hopefully do the same in the semi-finals Paul McKee

"Without doubt, I'm in my best shape since the World Indoors in 2003," McKee told BBC Sport.

"On that occasion, I went to Birmingham having run 46.5 indoors and I improved that time by over half-a-second in the championships.

"I'm hoping to do the same thing in Birmingham and improve my own Irish record of 45.58."

But McKee is fully aware that he faces a massive challenge in an event where he goes in as the 19th fastest competitor in this year's rankings.

"I'm going to run the heat like a final and hopefully do the same in the semi-finals.

"This is a very big championships for me and I remember the disappointment of four years ago when I was sixth fastest of the semi-finalists but didn't make the final because I was in a much tougher semi."

Like McKee, Anna Boyle shouldn't lack confidence going into these championships.

Paul Brizzel runs the 200m in Gothenburg

The Dunloy woman has improved her Northern Ireland record to a very respectable 11.49 this season and with conditions likely to be perfect for sprinting in Sweden, she must have every chance of clipping a few more hundredths off her PB.

Boyle is 17th ranked of the 100m competitors in Gothenburg and with the short sprint expected to be a three-round affair, she looks to be well-capable of making it to the semi-finals.

The Ballymena & Antrim athlete goes into the Championships having run only nine races so far this summer and that freshness should help her chances in what will be a busy week for the sprinter.

A fine outing over 200m at last Saturday's Dublin International also confirmed Boyle's place in the longer sprint in Gothenburg with the other two places set to be filled from Ciara Sheehy, Joanne Cuddihy or Emily Maher.

"The 200m will be tougher for me but I'm looking forward to the Championships and hoping to get through at least one round in each event," said Boyle.

"My progress has again been steady this year and that's how I want it to be.

"Small steps led me to qualify for the Commonwealth Games in March and I've made a few more this summer to make it to the Europeans."