ATHLETICS:Derval O'Rourke ran her fastest time of the season to finish second in the final of the 60m hurdles at the Irish indoor championships at the Odyssey Arena in Belfast.
O’Rourke clocked 8.12 seconds but was beaten to the tape by Britain’s Gemma Bennett, who came home in a personal best time of 8.07. Bennett was amongst a number of guest athletes at the meet.
O’Rourke had earlier got the better of Bennett in the heats in a time of 8.17, but despite shaving five hundredths of a second off that time in the final she had to settle for runners-up.
Paul Hession also had to settle for second spot behind a visiting athlete in his 60m sprint race, finishing in a time of 6.71 behind American Josh Norman, who won comfortably in 6..62.
Wicklow athlete Deirdre Byrne booked a place at next month’s European Indoors in Turin after she clipped nine seconds off her PB to win the 3,000 metres in 9:04.74.
Lisburn teenager Ciara Mageen was another standout performer, leading from start to finish to take the 1,500m in a time of 4:20.88, a new national junior record.