Before the Olympics Games begin in August, athletes from around the globe took part in a different kind of sporting event in southern Greece, the Nemean Games.

Hurling at Croke Park has been listed among 10 of the world’s ultimate sporting destinations by travel bible Lonely Planet.

Fifteen-year old Rhys McClenaghan from Bangor in Co Down is one of Ireland’s rising gymnastic stars. A strong all-rounder with a particular flair for the pommel horse, he has set his sights on making the Irish team for the European Youth Olympics in Tbil

I had no intention of writing about this topic until I saw a former basketball legend singing Happy Birthday to a North Korean dictator.

Nothing changes people’s perceptions quite like success.

Profits at low-cost airline easyJet climbed to a record £317m (€248.2m) today as higher sales offset a further £182m (€142.5m) surge in fuel costs.

Derval O'Rourke says there is nothing better than being involved in the Olympics Games, as she counts down the days to London 2012.

The first competitors are due to take up residence in the Athlete’s Village for the London Olympics today, after a weekend in which the security of the event was called into question.

Acrobatic act Spelbound were jumping for joy today after winning the final of Britain’s Got Talent.

Former Olympian Michael Roche has said that he was deeply shocked to hear of the death of Irish middleweight Darren Sutherland in London yesterday.

KENNETH EGAN is scheduled to meet Irish coach Billy Walsh later today and will travel to Belfast on Friday with the High Performance squad as the build-up to the London Olympics 2012 gets under way.

IRELAND’S Katie Taylor kept her title defence on track and guaranteed a bronze medal when she breezed through her lightweight quarter-final at the 5th AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships in Ningbo City, China, yesterday.

UK Athletics have parted company with performance director Dave Collins.

EIGHT years ago Andrew Bree — at just 19 — had the world at his feet when he made his Olympic debut in Sydney but since then not only himself but Irish swimming in general has gone through some difficult times.

IRISH boxers will be targeting half a dozen gold medals at the European Union Championships in Poland today.

The England women’s football team were disappointed at a decision to exclude them from playing in the next Olympics but were determined not to let it spoil their upcoming World Cup campaign, coach Hope Powell said today.

CIARAN MCDONAGH justified coach Paul Doyle’s confidence when breaking his own national long jump record with a leap of 8.07m at the Resisprint International in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland, on Sunday.

Derval O'Rourke's first appearance at an Olympics Games went doubly quick for the Cork athlete tonight, as she bowed out of the 100m hurdles in her first round heat.

Eddie Cassidy

A CREW of 15 specialists have started cutting the medals that will be awarded to winners at next month’s Olympics Games, organisers said yesterday.

DERVAL O’Rourke has overcome injury and will contest the 60m hurdles at this weekend’s All-Ireland Indoor championships at Belfast’s Odyssey.