Kevin Ankrom’s first contract as Athletics Ireland’s high performance manager expired last night as the first bars of Auld Lang Syne kicked off and, though there has been no announcement about a follow-up, the American is breezily confident about sticking around.

There were notable upsets at the World Indoor Championships in Sopot, Poland over the weekend but there was no stopping New Zealand shot putter Valerie Adams, who won her 44th consecutive major title.

The United States finished top of the medals table at the World Indoors in Sopot, rounding off the Games in suitably emphatic style by claiming the week’s only world record, in the men’s 4x400m relay.

It was always going to be a tough ask for the five Irish athletes to progress from their respective heats on day one of the World Indoor Championships in Sopot, Poland yesterday, and so it proved, with none of the quintet able to make it to a final.

I’m counting down the hours to the weekend’s World Indoor Championships as Sopot in Poland hosts the most important event of the global athletics calendar.

By Eoghan Cormican

Mark English has recovered from a respiratory tract infection and is looking forward to leading a small Irish team of to the IAAF World Indoor Championships in Sopot, Poland next week (March 7-9).

Mark English leads a small Irish team to next month's IAAF World Indoor championships in Sopot, Poland.

Marcus Lawler and Phil Healy have continued their rapid ascent since being a class apart at the All-Ireland Schools Track and Field Championships last summer and the two sprinters are set to star at the Woodie’s DIY Senior Indoor Championships in Athlone this weekend.

Olympic Decathlon champion Ashton Eaton has been confirmed among an impressive field for the inaugural Athlone International Grand Prix to be held later this month.

Sarah Lavin’s stock continued to rise yesterday at the British Athletics Indoor championships in Sheffield with a bronze medal over the 60m hurdles in 8.25 moving her to second on the Irish all-time record list.

The indoor athletics season has begun and it will culminate in the IAAF World Indoor Championships in Sopot, Poland in early March.

UCD’s Mark English underlined his world-class potential at the Woodie’s DIY AAI Games in Athlone yesterday with a national 800m indoor record (1:46.82) which qualifies him for the world indoors.

A week in the world of football can feel like a long time, so when I look back at all that’s happened in the last year, it feels like an eternity.

I read with interest the letters of Roughan MacNamara and Phelim Warren (Letters, Jun 25) about Roy Keane’s comments on Irish fans after the defeat by Spain in Euro 2012.

FAI chief executive John Delaney has defended his much-publicised drinking sessions with Irish fans during Ireland’s disastrous Euro 2012 campaign.

Following Ireland’s tame exit from Euro 2012, the glare of the media has again turned to FAI chief John Delaney.

Today, you couldn’t escape the general feeling of despondency. And it was particularly notable when you went to the Irish team’s training camp.

And so the tricolour bids farewell to the tri-city and, notwithstanding the painful pleasure of watching the scintillating Spaniards dismantle Ireland on Thursday night, a fond farewell it is to Gdynia, Sopot and Gdansk as we prepare to hit the road south today for a last visit to Poznan.

Ireland's Euro2012 knock-out hangover was in full force in northern Poland today as fans lashed former captain Roy Keane for his post-match criticisms.

People are choosing to sleep rough in Poland for a break from their tents as the novelty factor of camping slowly turns to hatred.

Snow Patrol frontman Gary Lightbody has defended cheering on Ireland during Euro 2012.

Snow Patrol frontman Gary Lightbody has defended cheering on the Republic of Ireland during Euro2012.

Fan focuses on goal despite losing passport

Looking at the human carnage in Sopot this morning, it’s no surprise Spain and Ireland are the basket cases of Europe.

The despair we can handle.

Wet, weary, and now beaten — it’s looking like it’s going to be a long haul in Gdansk.

After the capture of Poznan, the Green Army today takes its own brand of craziness north to Sopot.

Ahead of our departure for Poznan, we caught Poland’s dramatic 1-1 draw with Greece on television in Sopot last night.

The Leaving Certificate may be in full swing at home but Giovanni Trapattoni’s squad slept through the worst excesses of the local ‘School’s Out’ party which took place just a few hundred yards from the team hotel on Sopot’s beach front on Tuesday night.

By now, you’ve probably all seen the video of the Irish fans greeting the English team’s coach in Krakow. It was hard to miss. And even harder not to laugh at, even if there’s something a little sad about how the English – by contrast – are so supportive of Ireland.

Lukasz’s grasp of English was mightily impressive for a guy who has lived in Gdansk all his life.

No offence to Alan Kelly, but you know it’s a quiet day in camp when a couple of television crews and a battery of photographers are waiting on the steps of the media hotel in Sopot for the arrival of Ireland’s goalkeeping coach.

The German national side has long since shed its reputation for grey efficiency on the pitch and the circus surrounding Joachim Löw’s squad as they count down to their opening game at Euro 2012 is proving to be just as colourful.

Irish punters look on course to be right at home when they hit the 15-acre Euro 2012 supporters’ campsite in Sopot, Poland — it’s a horse racetrack.

Irish punters look on course to be right at home when they hit the 15-acre Euro 2012 supporters' campsite in Sopot, Poland - it's a horse race track.

Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore has appealed for the tens of thousands of Irish fans heading to Poland to take extreme care amid concern over the huge number of road deaths in Poland over the May Bank Holiday.

The Baltic Sea port town of Gdynia turned out in force to welcome Giovanni Trapattoni and his players to their home from home and tournament base for the European Championship finals.

Perhaps it was coincidence, perhaps not, but Giovanni Trapattoni last night responded to Aiden McGeady’s suggestion Ireland’s players are jaded by giving his men a day off.

HERE COME the WAGs.

Stephen Ward reckons Giovanni Trapattoni has made the right choice by making Ireland’s WAGS welcome at Euro 2012.

Ireland’s Euro 2012 squad will be allowed “some private time” with their wives and girlfriends during the tournament in Poland and the Ukraine — but partners can’t stay overnight with the players, said Republic manager Giovanni Trapattoni.

If, as the property gurus would have us believe, it’s all about location, location, location, then Ireland can already claim victory in the European Championships.

Giovanni Trapattoni will not be imposing a Twitter ban on the Irish players during their stay at the European Championships.