On what was his 21st birthday, Marcus Lawler came of age in style yesterday by blitzing the field to win the 200m title at the GloHealth National Indoor Championships in Athlone.

Usain Bolt and Justin Gatlin will renew their battle for World Championship gold this afternoon after the pair cruised into today’s 200 metres final (1.55pm Irish time, live on BBC2).

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Thomas Barr is targeting a final berth in the 400m hurdles at his maiden World Athletics Championships in Beijing at the end of this month.

Rob Heffernan walked away from the Morton Stadium frustrated as he saw a mid-afternoon red card in the men’s 10,000 metres walk.

Lizzie Lee produced a front-running performance to win the national half marathon championships in 73 minutes and 27 seconds on the streets of Dublin yesterday.

Athletics Ireland have announced a hugely inexperienced squad for the upcoming World Championships.

Ireland have secured league one status at the European team championships finishing seventh overall.

Derval O'Rourke and Fionnuala Britton will lead a weakened Irish team in the European Team championship next week.

Irish hopes of a medal from the European track and field championships in Helsinki were dashed on the final day when leading hope Fionnuala Britton finished fourth in the women’s 10,000m in 32:05.54, over half a minute outside the time which qualified her for the Olympic Games on her debut over the distance.

Three Irish Championship debutants were shown the harsh realities of stepping up to a senior international Games in this morning’s action at the European Athletics Championships in Helsinki.

Irish athletics chiefs and competitors last night played down the poor performances at the IAAF World Indoor Championships in Istanbul.

Ireland’s campaign at the World Indoor Athletics Championships drew to a close with North Down athlete Ben Reynolds being knocked out of the 60 metres hurdles at the semi-final stage.

Derval O’Rourke’s glory shot at the World Indoors in Istanbul ended in the semi-finals of the women’s 60 metres hurdles – not even a season’s best could progress the former world indoor champion to the final.

Ben Reynolds has qualified for tomorrow’s semi-finals of the men’s 60 metres hurdles at the World Indoor Championships in Istanbul.

“Fingers crossed” was the message from Derval O’Rourke for today’s semi-finals and final as she battled through her world indoor 60m hurdles heat and a suspect starting gun as a fastest loser in 8.19 seconds at the Atakoy Stadium in Istanbul.

Derval O'Rourke is through to tomorrow's semi-finals at the World Indoor Championships.

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.

Leevale’s Ciarán Ó Lionaird and Derval O’Rourke spearhead Ireland’s hopes of medals at the IAAF World Indoor Championships in Istanbul, Turkey today knowing they will have to be in top form to compete with the best.

New technology that examines in forensic detail the movements of Derval O’Rourke as she scales hurdles has allowed the Cork woman to highlight an injury that affected her performance at the recent Irish indoor championships, while also giving her the best possible preparation for the upcoming world indoor championships in Istanbul (March 9-11).

Derval O’Rourke had a grin of satisfaction after reclaiming her 60m hurdles title at the Woodies DIY Irish indoor championships at the Odyssey Arena in Belfast yesterday in 8.21 secs — modest by her standards.

David McCarthy came close to breaking the US collegiate record for the mile with victory in the Boston University Terrier Invite Meet on Saturday (3:55.75).

SHANE QUINN is set to continue his amazing streak of victories when he contests the intermediate 3,000m at the Irish Schools Track and Field Championships in Tullamore this morning.