EMULATING Madrid in 2005, where they won two gold medals, will be a tall order, but the Irish team travelling to Birmingham for the European Indoor Championships this weekend will still be expected to claim a pair of podium finishes.

Irish record holder Paul McKee led up until the last two strides of a brilliant 400m race before being pipped at the post by Ingo Schultz in today's EAA Dortmund International meeting.