The Irish women’s 4x400m relay team got a timely boost on the eve of the European championships when they dominated the women’s 400m in Nivelles, Belgium, at the weekend.

FIONNUALA BRITTON beat a quality field to notch up another victory in Saturday’s IAAF Grand Challenge Cross Country International over a rain-sodden course in Greenmount, Antrim.

FIONNUALA BRITTON beat a quality field to notch up another victory in Saturday’s IAAF Grand Challenge Cross Country International over a rain sodden course in Greenmount, Antrim.

Derval O’Rourke cruised through the heats of the 100 metres hurdles at the World Championships in Daegu today.

PAUL HESSION returned to the scene of his fastest run to claim his place in the 200m at next year’s Olympic Games in London.

Two-time European silver medallist Derval O'Rourke achieved the qualifying times for both this year's World Championships and the 2012 Olympics at a meeting in Switzerland yesterday.

SOME of Ireland top young talents secured qualification for international events at the Woodie’s DIY AAI Games at windswept Santry yesterday.

CORK HARLEQUINS were left cursing themselves for going to sleep at the start of extra-time, allowing Cork Church of Ireland to plunder a golden-goal victory in Saturday’s Munster Senior Cup semi-final at Farmer’s Cross.

Mary Cullen broke away from the field in the final 400 metres to win gold in the 1500 metres final at the Woodie's DIY Irish Indoor Championships in Belfast.

OLYMPIC Council of Ireland Chief Executive Stephen Martin has described Irish performances at the Vancouver Games as ‘a success.’

Irish bobsleigh pilot Aoife Hoey safely negotiated her Winter Olympic debut and said her and Claire Bergin’s performances at the Whistler Sliding Centre had served as a major boost for winter sports in Ireland.

IRELAND’S Chef de Mission, Siobhan Hoey has expressed concern over the venue for bobsleigh, luge and skeleton events at the Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

A Court of Arbitration for Sport panel has dismissed an application from Brazil to replace Ireland’s women’s bobsleigh team at the Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver.

WHILE the Irish women’s bobsleigh team continue to sweat over whether or not they will be able to compete in the Winter Olympics, it seems Irish fans are intent to on having a party regardless.

Ireland’s first women’s Olympic bobsleigh competitors, Aoife Hoey and Claire Bergin, have been named as joint ‘Sportswoman of the Month’ for January.

A SENIOR Irish Olympic official last night described the bobsleigh controversy which has overshadowed their preparations for the Vancouver Winter Games as ‘a nightmare’ which could cost thousands of euro in legal fees.

OLYMPIC Council of Ireland chiefs were last night hopeful that the national bobsleigh team will be allowed compete at the Winter Games in Vancouver.

The women’s bobsleigh team of Aoife Hoey and Claire Bergin were among the athletes named today by the Olympic Council of Ireland to represent Ireland at next month’s Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

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.

FERRYBANK’s Ann O’Shea was in record-breaking form at the Woodie’s DIY Juvenile Indoor championships in Nenagh at the weekend.

The Irish 4x400m women’s relay team put in a fantastic performance in their final this evening after finishing fourth.

Athletics Ireland has announced that double gold medallist David Gillick will defend his 400m European Indoor title in Italy next month.

Athletics Ireland has announced a 12-strong team to compete at the European Indoor Track and Field Championships in Turin, Italy next month.

ROISÍN McGETTIGAN, who broke one of Sonia O’Sullivan’s old records when she finished fourth in the Reebok Women’s Mile at the Boston indoor meeting on Saturday, has been included in the Irish team for next month’s European Indoor Championships in Turin.

JOANNE CUDDIHY (Kilkenny) finished 6th in her 400m final at the World Junior Athletics Championships in Kingston, Jamaica but with a personal best 53.36s on the clock. Monique Henderson (USA) won in 51.10s.