The tricolour fluttered proudly in Utrecht as Ireland picked up two gold medals on the concluding day of action at the European Youth Olympic Festival.

With favourable weather forecast, some exciting performances are expected today when the Leevale club promote the first day of a two-day programme of athletics.

Lisa Kearney is set to be confirmed as Ireland's first ever Olympic women's judo competitor, despite being beaten in the European Championships in Russia today.

GRAINNE MURPHY claimed her third gold medal at the European Junior Swimming Championships, winning the 200m Individual Medley in 2.14.22.

LISBURN’s Ciara Mageean has put Irish women’s middle distance running back on the map with a silver medal yesterday in the World Youth Championships 800m final in Sudtirol, Italy.

Dwain Chambers today lost his High Court bid to be allowed to compete at next month’s Olympic Games in Beijing.

IRELAND’s Patrick Hickey vowed to put youth at the forefront when he was unanimously elected president of the European Olympic Committees (EOC) at an extraordinary session of the EOC on Saturday.

Brendan Mooney

EIGHT sportspeople have been named in the Athletics Ireland’s World Class Panel, a key component of the Association’s new Performance Plan.

BRENDAN O’NEILL (St. Michael’s, Dublin), Mairead Murphy (Mercy, Waterford) and Laura Reynolds (Marian, Mohill) all set new records at the KitKat Tailteann Irish Schools interpros at Tullamore on Saturday when a number of athletes bound for the European Youth Olympic Festival got the perfect send-off.

THE team for next month’s European Youth Olympic Festival in Lignano was finalised following the Kit Kat Irish Schools Track and Field Championships on Saturday when, despite some inclement weather, all the qualifiers produced some spectacular performances.