Athletics:Derval O'Rourke and Paul Hession will head-up a strong representation of Ireland's top athletes at this weekend's Irish Senior Indoor Championships at the Odyssey Arena in Belfast.
The Belfast meeting will serve as O’Rourke’s season opener when she competes in the 60metre hurdles. The Leevale hurdler returned to form last season by claiming fourth in the 100m hurdles at the World Championships in Berlin.
O’Rourke will be joined by club-mate and training partner Ailis McSweeney, Niamh Whelan (Ferrybank AC), Clare Brady (Celebridge AC) and Irish 60m record holder Anna Boyle (Ballymena & Antrim).
In the men’s 60m Hession will defend his title from last year after the Athenry sprinter finished fourth (6.78seconds) at the IAAF indoor meet in Karlsruhe, Germany last weekend.
In the men’s 400m race, national 400m outdoor champion Brian Gregan will start as favourite in the absence of David Gillick.
In the London Open Games last weekend Gregan improved his personal best to 47.67seconds after winning the 400m. The Clonliffe Harriers runner will face opposition from Billy Ryan, (Ferrybank AC), Brian Murphy (UCD AC) and Nick Hogan (Dundrum South Dublin AC).
All the athletes are looking to produce sub-48 second performances to book their place the men’s 4x400m team for the World Indoor Championships.
Robert Heffernan (Togher AC), Colin Griffin (Balinamore AC) and Jamie Costin (West Waterford AC) will compete in the men’s 5km walk.
The championships provide an opportunity to show form and achieve qualification standards for the IAAF World Indoor Championships which take place in Doha in the Emirates in March.
World silver medallist Olive Loughnane, along with Hession, is another notable absentee for the 3km walk after the Loughrea athlete picked up an injury.
The national indoor meet takes place at the Odyssey Arena this Saturday and Sunday (6th-7th). Highlights will be shown on RTÉ 2 on Monday, February 8th from 7-8pm.