There won’t be any medals, that’s for sure, and we’re unlikely to see any Irish athlete make a final, but that’s not to say we should stick a skewer in the IAAF World Indoor Championships before they’ve even begun.

Usain Bolt brings the curtain down on an extraordinary career in London ready to turn the World Championships into his personal party.

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 Mageean couldn’t hide her disappointment after a fifth place finish in the women’s 1500m in 4:12.46 on an exciting night of athletics at the Athlone International Grand Prix. Athletics

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.

Adam McMullen as unable to qualify for the men’s long jump final at the European Indoors in Prague.

Athletics: The national indoor championships take place in Athlone this weekend with two headline acts having travelled very different paths to star in the midlands and then, hopefully, on the European stage next month.

Last April one year, Carol Sharp picked up the phone in Edinburgh and put a call through to her daughter Lynsey in the United States.

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.

Sport, like most things, has both good and bad sides. It’s tempting to get caught up in the magical side but it’s naïve to think it’s all wonderful. Ugly issues like drugs in sport exist.

Robert Heffernan crowned a fairytale season when he was named Athlete of the Year at the National Athletics Awards at the Crowne Plaza in Dublin yesterday.

Turkish athlete Nevin Yanit has been handed a two-year ban for doping, increasing the chances that Derval O’Rourke will receive a medal from March’s European Indoor Athletics Championships.

Rose-Anne Galligan's spectacular return to top-class athletics this year didn't translate into qualification for the semi-finals of the 800m at the World Championships in Moscow.

Ireland’s double European Cross-Country Champion Fionnuala Britton will miss next month’s World Athletics Championships in Moscow after announcing she is to take an “extended break” from the sport.

No David Gillick, Derval O’Rourke down €28,000 despite almost medalling at the recent European Indoors and €12,000 set aside for Kenny Egan despite him having announced his retirement from the ring back in February.

Ciarán Ó Lionáird became Ireland’s latest medallist at a major athletics championships, as Brian Gregan’s hopes for glory bit the dust in devastating fashion.

Ciara Everard turned mishap into magic at the Athlone Institute of Technology indoor arena yesterday as she sped to a new national indoor 800m record of 2:02.54 and a European Indoor qualifying time (2:03.5) in a incredible weekend for Irish athletics.

The fairytale ending may not have materialised but Derval O’Rourke had few regrets as she bade farewell to her third and final Olympic Games in London last night.

High jumper Deirdre Ryan has been a regular at major championships ever since competing in the World Youths in 1999.

This weekend's World Indoor Track and Field Championships in Istanbul are surely going to whet the appetite in terms of what lies ahead for the rest of the year.

Mary Cullen broke away from the field in the final 400 metres to win gold in the 1500 metres final at the Woodie's DIY Irish Indoor Championships in Belfast.

David Gillick remains on target to win the World Indoor 400 metres title, but admits he may have to show more patience than he did in his heat.

KELLY PROPER of Ferrybank AC, pictured, booked her place at the IAAF World Indoor championships after setting another national long jump record at the Vienna Indoor Gala on Saturday.

Athletics Ireland has announced that double gold medallist David Gillick will defend his 400m European Indoor title in Italy next month.

PAUL HESSION faces a star-studded field in his quest for a sprint double at the Woodies DIY Irish Indoor Athletic Championships at the Odyssey Arena in Belfast next month.

David Gillick reigning European indoor championships has pulled out of Belfast due to the flu.

David Gillick has been forced to pull out of this weekend’s National Indoor Championships due to the flu.

DAVID GILLICK’S hopes of successfully defending his European indoor 400m title in Birmingham next month were given a huge boost in Dusseldorf on Tuesday night when he posted the fastest time of the season at 45.99 secs for what was a significant victory.

Internet chatroom abuse was one of the driving forces behind Derval O’Rourke’s silver medal success in Gothenburg.

Derval O'Rourke, Alistair Cragg and David Gillick are top of the pile in the 29-strong team chosen to represent Ireland at next month's European Athletics Championships in Gothenburg.

Reigning European indoor 400 metres champion David Gillick could be bound for Moscow as a late addition to the Ireland squad for the World Indoor Athletics Championships.

Ireland's newest middle-distance star Alistair Cragg - who strode home to a first Championship medal at tonight's European Indoors - paid tribute to the atmosphere generated at the stadium.

There were some top quality performances at the National Indoor Championships in Nenagh today with sprinters in particular, catching the eye.