Faster, fitter, and a whole lot healthier, Mark English has every reason to believe once again. Ten days out from the European Indoor Championships in Glasgow, the Donegal athlete has returned to the kind of form that saw him win a silver medal at the 2015 edition — and he believes a repeat showing could be on the cards.

A strong Irish team of 16 athletes have been selected for next month's European Indoor Athletics Championships in Glasgow.

Ciara Mageean will go to next week’s European Indoor Championships in Glasgow as a strong medal contender in the 1500m after a highly impressive victory at the national indoor arena on Saturday, the 26-year-old coasting to the Irish 3000m title in 9:02.57.

After a flying start to the season, Ciara Mageean is optimistic about her medal chances at next month’s European Indoor Championships in Glasgow, where the 26-year-old is set to take on home favourite Laura Muir over 1500m.

OLYMPIAN Kerry O’Flaherty is evidently in good shape, having competed in Rio in 2016 and this year winning the Irish National 1500m title and competing in her first European Indoor Championships in Serbia.

Irish athletics faces some challenges after a difficult European Indoor Championships in Belgrade but there were some green shoots with Ciara Neville gaining valuable experience at her first senior championship.

Bandon’s Phil Healy gets Irish interest underway at the European Indoor Championships in Belgrade today and she, like the rest of the Irish team, will need to be at her best to advance past the first round.

Ireland has one realistic medal chance as 567 athletes from 49 countries line up for the 34th European Indoor Championships, which start tomorrow in Belgrade.

Ciara Neville (Emerald) kept her cool to clinch gold after a poor start in the women’s 60m while Phil Healy (Bandon) secured the European standard for the 400m on a weekend full of back stories and close finishes at the Irish Life Health National Indoor Championships in Abbotstown, Dublin.

Ciara Neville’s life in the fast lane seemed to be running on fumes long before the Castletroy teenager had even gotten into top gear but a hard edge and support now sees her on the cusp of her first senior international championship.

A host of international stars are set to take on some of Ireland’s best athletes at the Athlone International Grand Prix this evening.

Ciara Mageean is looking to kick-start her season this week after a rusty opening to 2017 as she bids to add to her medal haul at the European Indoor Championships in March.

Athletics is braced for further blows to its credibility today when the second part of the World Anti-Doping Agency report into Russian doping is revealed, but Derval O’Rourke knew all along she was being cheated, writes Cathal Dennehy.

In terms of sport, it’s been a great year for John Travers, who finished seventh in the 1500m final at the European Indoor Championships in March. Off the track, though, the 24-year-old has endured a torrid time, with his father, Stephen, passing away after a long illness just a day before travers finished eighth in the 1500m final at the World University Games in July. He spoke to the ’Irish Examiner’ ahead of tomorrow’s Inter Clubs Cross Country Championships in Santry...

Mo Farah looks set to miss the World Indoor Championships in March to focus on the defence of his Olympic titles.

RETIRED international athlete David Gillick realised something vital very early in his track and field career.

Mark English went in to the European Indoor Championships in Prague as Ireland’s main medal hope and he proved he could handle the pressure by delivering a silver medal in the 800m in 1:47.20.

Mark English advanced to the 800m semi-finals by running an impressive 1:48.10 at the European Indoor Championships in Prague yesterday.

This should be about Ciara Everard’s hopes for the European Indoor Championships in Prague this week.

Emerald’s Ciara Neville announced herself as a star of the future at the GloHealth National Indoor Championships in Athlone as current stars Mark English and Kelly Proper continued their dominance.

Mark English wrapped up his preparations for Prague 2015 by taking the Glo Health national indoor 800 meter title in Athlone I.T today.

Declan Murray is looking forward to taking on Mark English in the men’s 800m at the GloHealth National Indoor Championships in Athlone this weekend and make amends for a questionable lane infringement call at the Athlone International last Wednesday. 

Qatar’s Mutaz Bashirm was just centimetres off setting a new World high jump record at tonight’s AIT international arena, as Ciarán Ó Lionáird ran out of gas.

The Irish distance medley relay team broke the world record in New York last night - but it wasn’t enough to gain a win at the Armory international.

Mark English has confirmed that Nic Bideau will be his new coach as well as his agent next season.

Yesterday I announced my retirement from competitive athletics. In this column I want to expand on my decision. It’s still quite raw and I’m a little emotional, but here goes my attempt to articulate it.

Derval O’Rourke has announced her retirement from athletics today.

Overcoming hurdles is what I do best — and foot surgery before my wedding day wasn’t going to stop me walking up the aisle, says Derval O’Rourke.

Derval O’Rourke welcomed news that Turkey’s European indoor 60m hurdles champion Nevin Yanit has been banned for two years, which should see the Cork star upgraded to the bronze medal — but believes she should also be getting the European outdoor gold from 2010.

Athletics Ireland publicly rolled out their High Performance plan for the next Olympic cycle at the Gresham Hotel yesterday with the vision of “more Irish athletes winning on the world stage” and a target of 24 medals being won at major championships between 2013 and 2016.

It was a case of “deja vu” for Fionnuala Britton and part of a childhood ambition achieved for Ciaran O’Lionaird as they led a successful Irish team homecoming from the European Indoor Championships in Gothenburg with their bronze medals in the 3,000 metres to a small but intimate crowd at the arrivals hall in Dublin airport yesterday evening.

“I’m not finishing fourth,” was Fionnuala Britton’s mantra in the last three laps of the 3,000m final as the teak tough Wicklow woman won a fighting bronze medal yesterday.

Ciarán Ó Lionáird turned a “turbulent” 2012 into a composed bronze medal-winning performance on Saturday evening at the European Indoor championships in Gothenburg and now wants to make an impact on the world stage.

Fionnuala Britton today won Ireland’s second bronze medal at the European Indoor Championships in Gothenburg.

A hugely positive opening morning session for Irish athletes at the European Indoor Championships in Gothenburg has seen Brian Gregan and Ciarán Ó Lionaird win their heats, with Derval O’Rourke progressing through also to tonight’s sprint hurdles semi-finals.

Derval O'Rourke has qualified for the semi final of the 60 meters hurldes in the European indoor championships.

Sonia O’Sullivan believes success “should be expected” by Irish athletes at the European Indoor Championships, which begin this morning in Gothenburg.

Athletics Ireland high performance director Kevin Ankrom has said they have opportunities for medals this weekend at the European Indoor Championships in Gothenburg.

European Cross Country champion Fionnuala Britton is playing down her chances at the European Indoor Championships in Gothenburg this weekend.

Fionnuala Britton had a fine third place finish over 3,000m in Karlsruhe on Saturday evening, running a personal best of 8:55.22 behind Meseret Defar’s 8:35.28 as a host of Irish athletes competed around the globe.

Fionnuala Britton, who takes on Olympic 5,000m champion Meseret Defar (Ethiopia) over 3,000m in Karlsruhe this weekend, was the headline athlete at the announcement of the new partnership between New Balance and Athletics Ireland last night.

The Woodie’s DIY AAI Games in the new Athlone IT indoor arena produced a long list of new personal bests and one new record.