The mother of Derval O'Rourke, the first Irish woman to win a gold medal at the World Indoor Championships, has paid tribute to her daughter's dedication and focus.
At the family home in Hillcourt Estate, near Douglas in Cork city, Eva O'Rourke said yesterday she was tremendously proud of her achievements. O'Rourke (24) won the final of the 60m hurdles in Moscow on Saturday.
"It is amazing, it is wonderful. We are delighted for her because she has had it hard at times and she achieved what she went to Moscow for. She had hoped to get a medal but she never thought of getting a gold. Getting a gold is the icing on the cake.
"Derval was always so focused when she was younger. She was determined even as a young athlete and used to joke 'When I will be the world beater', and now she is."
O'Rourke began her running career with local athletic clubs Douglas and Leevale AC. She qualified for the Olympics in Athens in 2004 and broke the Irish outdoor record at the under- 23 championships in Poland. Last month she smashed her national record with her first sub-eight second run at the AAA Championships in Sheffield.
O'Rourke funds her training in Dublin via a grant from the Sports Council. As a teenager she won a sports scholarship to UCD, where she now works in the sports department. She graduated with an arts degree and also has a masters in business studies from the Smurfit School of Business.
President Mary McAleese yesterday described Derval O'Rourke's win in Russia as "a well deserved success."
Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and Minister for Sport John O'Donoghue also congratulated her.