Ireland's Annelise Murphy is in with a medal shout in the Laser Radial class with only one point separating the top four.

It has been a day of mixed results so far for Team Ireland at London 2012.

Ireland's 1,500 metres runner Ciaran Ó Lionáird questioned whether he wanted to remain in the sport after finishing second last in his heat at the London Olympics.

There were mixed fortunes for Ireland’s boxers last night on a day when the track and field team also got a chance to taste the Olympic atmosphere.

Ireland’s proximity to London was seen as a positive ahead of these Olympic Games but it seems there is a counter argument to that theory.

Ireland’s Joanne Cuddihy has highlighted her fast start as something to mend after she qualified for the semi-finals of the 400 metres at the London Olympics as a fastest loser today.

Joanne Cuddihy has qualified for the next round of the women's 400m in London.

There will be three Irish athletes involved in the first day of track action at the Olympic Games in London today.

Ciarán Ó Lionáird will face a defining moment in his career when he lines up for the first round heats of the men’s 1500m at the Olympic Stadium tonight (8.25pm).

Robert Heffernan will captain the Irish athletics team at London 2012 it was confirmed yesterday.

Joanne Cuddihy (Kilkenny City Harriers) broke camp from her training base in Spain to underscore her consistency and current good form at Cork City Sports at the CIT Stadium last night with third place in the women’s 400m.

By Alan Smith

Ciarán Ó Lionáird will be the star attraction for Cork in tonight’s 61st annual Cork City Sports with the Macroom native a strong contender in the iconic mile distance, writes Conor George of the Evening Echo.

Ciarán Ó Lionáird will turn to his home track and the support of the home crowd at the CIT Stadium in Bishopstown this evening (6.30pm) to launch the final phase of his Olympic build-up in the featured Cork City Sports Cork Airport Mile.

The controversy surrounding the Irish women’s 4x400m relay team may yet run through until next Monday – four days before the Olympic Games Opening Ceremony – after confirmation yesterday of the details surrounding Catriona Cuddihy’s appeal.

Derval O’Rourke’s participation in next month’s London Olympics is in doubt after she pulled out of yesterday’s defence of her 100m hurdles title at the Woodies DIY national championships in Morton Stadium.

Joanne Cuddihy cast aside the pain of the elimination of younger sister Catriona’s from the women’s Olympic 4x400m squad to win the Athlete of the Meet award at the Woodies DIY national track and field championships at Morton Stadium yesterday.

Jason Smyth’s attempts to become the first individual athlete to compete in the Olympic and Paralympic games came to an end in Santry Stadium today, but it was the extent of a possible injury to Derval O'Rourke that occupied Team Ireland's minds.

Strong wind at Santry Stadium played a telling factor on Day One of the 2012 Woodies DIY National Track and Field Championships today.

The Woodie’s DIY National Championships take place at the Morton Stadium, Santry this weekend.

One of Ireland’s Olympic medal-winners is praying he can go further in the boxing ring at the London 2012 Games.

Ireland’s 4x400m relay women were officially confirmed as London 2012 Olympians by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) yesterday.

Ireland's representation at the Olympic Games will now be 63 after the Irish women's 4x400m relay team were named among the 16 competing at London 2012.

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.

It was pain in the rain for Ireland on the penultimate night of the European Athletics Championships in Helsinki - both 4x400m relay squads were disqualified, while eighth place was the best return from the four Irish finalists.

There was no joy for Ireland’s two finalists at the European track and field championships in Helsinki yesterday as Brian Gregan, hit by a groin spasm 80m into the men’s 400m final, faded in the closing stages of the race and Jessie Barr, trying out a new stride pattern, never got into a striking position in the women’s 400m hurdles final.

Paul Hession has breezed through to the semi-finals of the men’s 200 metres at the European Athletics Championships in Helsinki, but for Steven Colvert there was the frustration of becoming the latest athlete to fall foul of the Olympic Stadium’s infamous tight lanes.

There was a mix of joy, drama and heartbreak for the Irish athletes in action on the opening day of the European track and field championships in Helsinki yesterday.

It has been a mixed start for the Irish on the opening day of competition at the European Championships in Helsinki today.

Jessie Barr and her brother Tom will have an eye on Olympic qualification when they line up for their respective first round heats of the 400m hurdles at the European track and field championships in Helsinki today.

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.

Irish record holders Deirdre Ryan and Derval O’Rourke will not compete in the European Track and Field Championships in Helsinki at the end of the month.

Colin Griffin has boosted the Irish track and field team for the Olympic Games to 18 after sailing past the Olympic A standard to qualify for the 50k race walking at London 2012.

Joanne Cuddihy became Ireland’s latest athlete to qualify for the London Olympics yesterday.

Joanne Cuddihy will compete in the Olympic 400 metres, having become the 17th Irish track and field athlete to qualify for London 2012.

Olympic team manager, Patsy McGonagle, predicts Ireland could have 24 athletes at the London Olympics.

Ireland’s Olympic selectors have been given a marathon headache, as a fourth athlete has made the qualifying mark for the women’s marathon at London 2012.

Tori Pena has become the first Irish pole vaulter to qualify for an Olympic Games.

REGARDLESS of the outcome of today’s 1,500m final at the World Championships in Daegu, Ciarán Ó Lionaird’s coach is convinced the 23 year-old Cork man has huge medal potential.

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

DERVAL O’ROURKE has not been at her best this season but expect her to put all those disappointments behind her when she contests the heats of the women’s 100m hurdles tomorrow morning (2.20am Irish time).

JOANNE CUDDIHY was in distinguished company at the world championships in Daegu yesterday when she false-started in her semi-final of the women’s 400m less than an hour before reigning Olympic and world champion, Usain Bolt, made a similar exit from the men’s 100m final.

Joanne Cuddihy bowed out of the World Championships after false starting in her 400 metres semi-finals in Daegu.

Ireland’s Joanne Cuddihy qualified impressively for the semi-finals of the 400 metres at the World Championships in Daegu tonight, but Paralympic 100m champion Jason Smyth went out.