ATHLETICS:FOUR WEEKS to the World Indoor Championships in Doha and Derval O'Rourke is hurdling like a potential medallist, writes Ian O'Riordan. Yesterday, in Sheffield, the Cork star won the British AAA Indoor title over 60 metre hurdles in 8.11 seconds – notably faster than the 8.18 she ran last weekend in Belfast to win her 10th Irish Indoor title.

O’Rourke will want to get under eight seconds if she’s to challenge for a medal in Doha, and her start wasn’t the best yesterday – her reaction time of .191 the slowest of the eight finalists, and well behind the .154 of bronze medallist Louise Hazel of Birchfield. Yet O’Rourke soon blew past everyone, with Gemma Bennett of Shaftsbury the eventual runner-up in 8.20.

O’Rourke’s win completed a great Irish weekend treble in the British championships, starting on Saturday night when Hazel Murphy, the 25-year-old from Dundrum, won the 3,000 metres in a personal best 9:02.06. This improved her best by over three seconds when second to Deirdre Byrne in Belfast last week, and also qualifies Murphy for Doha.

Rose Ann Galligan from Kildare came close to securing the necessary standard over 1,500 metres when she finished second in 4:15.13, just short of the 4:15.00 qualifying mark, a place ahead of Kelly McNeice (4:17.06), who is already in the team for Doha.

Waterford long jumper Kelly Proper secured the third Irish win when defending the British title with a best of 6.48 metres.

And there was another Irish victory overseas when David McCarthy clocked 1:49.57 to win the 800 metres at the Valencia Indoor meeting.