He can remember hurtling down the hill on his cousin’s bike, moving at a nonsensical pace, the summer breeze buffeting his face. 

Tributes have poured in for a champion Irish athlete who sustained serious head injuries in a freak fall just hours after celebrating winning a bronze medal at the FISU World University Rowing Championships, in Poznan, Poland.

THE surprise inclusion of a men’s 4 x 400m relay team alongside medal hopefuls, David Gillick and Derval O’Rourke, on the Irish team for the world indoor championships in Doha (March 12, 13, 14) is aimed at the future and, in particular, this year’s European outdoor championships in Barcelona, according to team manager Patsy McGonagle.