Mark English and Paul Robinson both bowed out of the 800m in the first round heats on the opening morning of the IAAF World Athletics Championships in Moscow.

This year’s Elite national boxing championships are only at semi-final stage but already we know that five titles will change hands this year.

Drama and disappointment at the opening weekend of the Elite National Boxing Championships at the National Stadium last night, three more champions losing their titles even before a punch was thrown.

Donegal middleweight Jason Quigley was crowned European U23 champion with a 17-11 victory over Germany’s Dennis Radovan in Kaliningra, Russia yesterday.

Ciarán Ó Lionáird will turn to his home track and the support of the home crowd at the CIT Stadium in Bishopstown this evening (6.30pm) to launch the final phase of his Olympic build-up in the featured Cork City Sports Cork Airport Mile.

CIARÁN Ó LIONÁIRD (Leevale), fresh from his sensational 1,500m run in Oordegem, Belgium, will contest the 800m at this weekend’s Woodies DIY national senior championships at Morton Stadium, Santry.

WITH the majority of the Irish athletes due to fly into Barcelona today, Paul Hession has opted to remain at the training camp in Murcia until Monday, the day before the European Championships get under way.

DAVID GILLICK installed himself as the favourite for the gold medal in the 400m at the upcoming European championships when he posted the fastest time of the year by a European one-lap runner at 44.98 secs in the Swiss town of La Chaux-De-Fonds on Sunday.

DERVAL O’ROURKE is out of next weekend’s World Indoor Championships in Doha, Qatar with a hamstring injury.

CYCLING legend, Sean Kelly, unveiled his new An Post-sponsored cycling team at the GPO in Dublin yesterday and promised some big performances from the 14-man squad which is comprised of a mix of six Irish and eight foreign riders.

SINCE she finished 12th at the 20k walk world championships is Paris in 2003, life has changed dramatically for Olive Loughnane.