ATHLETICS:SHE INSISTS it's "purely precautionary", but Derval O'Rourke will be a notable absentee from this weekend's National Indoor Championships in Belfast.
Although there are conflicting reports as to whether O’Rourke ever intended to compete to begin with, it does raise some concerns about her race fitness ahead of the European Indoor Championships in Paris in just two weeks.
What is certain is O’Rourke sustained a minor groin strain in training last week, ruling her out of the Karlsruhe meeting in Germany last Sunday. She’d also fallen at training, badly cutting her knee.
Still, it was expected she would race the 60 metres hurdles at the Birmingham International on Saturday, then move on to the National Indoors on Sunday.
But she’s now ruled those out. too, and won’t race again until the Europeans in Paris, where her heats and final are all set for the opening day, March 4th.
So O’Rourke will go into Paris will just two races under her belt; the 8.16 she clocked in Linz, Austria, when finishing second (“very average”, she says), and the 8.03 she ran in Liévin, France, when finishing third (“a little bit more respectable”).
That shouldn’t prove too much of a handicap, yet it’s hardly ideal either.
There’s still plenty at stake in Belfast, as the Odyssey Arena once again plays host to the championships. Mary Cullen, who won European Indoor bronze over 3,000 metres two years ago, will make her debut at the venue, looking to secure her place on the Ireland team for Paris. Cullen has already qualified thanks to the 8:56.89 she clocked in Liévin, but will face strong competition from Fionnuala Britton and Stephanie Reilly, amongst others.
Paul Hession was entered in the 400 metres as a sort of training experiment, but he has since withdrawn and is instead focusing all his efforts on the outdoor season, where he will concentrate on the 200 metres.
Likewise David Gillick, the former two-time European Indoor champion, who is set to bypass the indoor season altogether and focus on his training for the outdoor season at his new base in Florida, where he is working with American Lance Brauman, coach to Tyson Gay, among others.
The women’s 60 metres in Belfast promises an interesting showdown between Ailis McSweeney and Claire Brady.
McSweeney has gone full-time this year and already run an indoor best of 7.34 seconds, but Brady is the defending champion, and has also gone part-time at work in order to maximise her potential up to and, she hopes, including the London Olympics.
Brady’s efforts have been boasted by the backing of ESB Electric Ireland, who yesterday announced a sponsorship agreement with the Celbridge athlete.
“The great thing about this sponsorship is how it will help facilitate my training and preparation for the coming year and onwards,” said Brady, “such as funding training camps which will help build in my preparations for the upcoming summer.”
Coached by former Irish sprint champion Gary Ryan, Brady still needs to improve her season best of 7.53 to make it to Paris, where the qualifying standard has been set at 7.38.
Cleirigh-Buttner shines
THE PRECOCIOUS Siofra Cleirigh Buttner again underlined her exciting potential by comfortably winning the Intermediate Girls title at yesterday's Aviva Leinster Schools' Cross Country Championships.
Staged over a reasonably dry but tough course at Santry Demesne, Buttner was perhaps the most convincing winner of the day, leaving Linda Conroy and Sarah Hawkshaw to battle it out for runner-up, while also leading Coláiste Íosagáin to the team title.
In the Senior Boys race, Kevin Dooney of CBC Monkstown pulled off a memorable win over Liam Brady of St Brendan's, Birr, who had looked unbeatable.
Máire Áine Ní Shuilleabheain from Gael Coláiste Ceatharlach also ran superbly well to beat Mary Mulhare and Niamh Kearney to the senior girls title.
In the Minor Boys race the fancied Jack Kyle of King's Hospital had to settle for third this time, with Glen Gaffney of St Mary's, Mullingar, the winner.
