WORLD indoor 60m hurdles champion Derval O’Rourke, who did not compete last year, will be surrounded by familiar faces when she bids to reclaim her national 60m hurdles title at this month’s Woodies DIY Irish Indoor Championships at the Odyssey Arena in Belfast.

ATHLETICS Ireland have been in touch with the Department of Foreign Affairs asking them for assistance in getting Martin Fagan’s status rectified so that he can re-enter the US and pursue his Olympic dream.

DERVAL O’ROURKE will follow the same path that took her to world indoor gold and European outdoor silver medals last year when she launches her indoor season at the Irish indoor championships at the Odyssey Arena in Belfast at the end of January.

IRELAND has two athletes at the top of the European rankings after an exciting weekend that saw Paul Hession (Athenry) run the fastest 200m by a European this year at the Woodies DIY national track and field championships at Morton Stadium and Alistair Cragg post the fastest 5,000m by a European at a meet in Brasschaat, Belgium.

David Campbell claimed an historic double at the Woodie's DIY National Senior Track & Field Championships in Santry by becoming the first man to win both the 800m and 1500m titles since Eamonn Coghlan achieved the feat in 1981.

The big guns are all still in sight of winning the men's 800m title as David Campbell, Thomas Chamney and David McCarthy all qualified as easy winners of today's heats.

THE men’s 800m final could be the race of the weekend at the Woodies DIY national track and field championships at Morton Stadium.

IF YOU ever wondered how fast you could run a mile you can find out and, in the process, help a very worthy charity by participating in the SPAR Mile Challenge in your area over the coming weekend.

ALISTAIR CRAGG admitted yesterday that he is still haunted by his experience in the final of the 5,000m at the European outdoor championships in Gothenburg last year.

Golden boy David Gillick capped off what Irish team manager Patsy McGonagle described as "a crazy day" by becoming the first man to retain the European Indoor 400 metres title since Britain's Du'aine Ladejo did so in 1996.

Thomas Chamney and David McCarthy both qualified for the 800 metres semi-finals at the European Indoor Athletics Championships today in Birmingham to complete a very satisfactory first day for the Irish team.

JUST when he found himself resigned to skipping the indoor season altogether, European indoor 400m champion David Gillick finds himself back in the mix as favourite to retain his title in Birmingham this weekend.

JOANNE CUDDIHY probably won’t win a medal at the European championships in Gothenburg — a cruel draw may have decided that last night when she drew Lane 1 for tonight’s final — but she won a special place in the hearts of Irish athletics fans with a courageous performance in the semi-finals of the women’s 400m.

JOANNE CUDDIHY qualified for this evening’s women’s 400m semi-finals at the European championships in Gothenburg yesterday when she ran her second fastest time ever at 51.41 secs for second place behind gold medal favourite Olga Zaytseva of Russia, who ran 50.89 secs, in her first round heat.

IRISH manager Patsy McGonagle yesterday described Irish performances at the European Championships in Gothenburg in glowing terms.

DERVAL O’ROURKE will share the limelight with the stars of world athletics at the Golden League meet in Zurich next Friday night as she sets about reaping the financial rewards of the silver medal she won at the European championships in Gothenburg.

Joanne Cuddihy produced a lifetime best to guarantee herself a place in tomorrow night’s 400 metres final at the European Championships in Gothenburg.

Liam Reale and Joanne Cuddihy have another chance to shine today at the European Athletics Championships in Gothenburg.

LIAM REALE, in his first appearance at a major championship, qualified for the final of the men’s 1,500m with a never-say-die performance at the European Championships in Gothenburg last night, finishing eighth in 3:41.97 in a heat that produced all four fastest losers.

Liam Reale has booked a place in the final of the Men's 1,500 after coming eighth in his heat of the Men's 1,500m at the European Championships in Gothenburg this evening.

Irish medal hopeful David Gillick has finished second in his 400m heat in the European Championships in Gothenburg this morning, coming in just behind Britain’s Tim Benjamin.

IRELAND’s Paul McKee must launch his European Championship campaign from lane nine when the first-round heats of the 400 metres get under way today.

Derval O'Rourke, Alistair Cragg and David Gillick are top of the pile in the 29-strong team chosen to represent Ireland at next month's European Athletics Championships in Gothenburg.

LIAM REALE threw something of a cloud over Alistair Cragg’s European championship ambitions when he outsmarted the European indoor 3,000m champion and then held him off comfortably in the finishing straight to land the 1,500m title at the Woodies DIY national track and field championships at Morton Stadium yesterday.

Dubliner David Gillick won his first 400 metres outdoor title at the Woodie's DIY National Track and Field Championships today.

Kilkenny woman Joanne Cuddihy looks set to double up with both the 200 metres and 400 metres titles at the Woodies DIY National Track and Field Championships this weekend.

THREE Irish athletes produced superlative performances in Mannheim over the weekend to qualify for next month’s world junior championships in Beijing.

IRELAND’S medal hopes in the 4 x 400m relay at the European championships in Gothenburg in a months time suffered a severe setback at the weekend when Rob Daly, who also has an individual qualifying standard, tore a calf muscle at the BUPA Cork City Sports.

LABAN ROTICH failed by a fraction in his bid to become the first athlete to break four minutes for the mile in Kerry at last night’s Lee Strand international meeting on Castleisland’s resplendent track when he outsprinted fellow Kenyan, Paul Korir, to win in 4:00.63.

WORLD indoor 60m champion Derval O’Rourke got her outdoor season off to a flying start before the home fans at The Mardyke on Saturday at the BUPA Cork City Sports.

LIMERICK man Liam Reale added his name to the growing list of qualifiers for the European championships when he finished second in the elite men’s 1,500m race at last weekend’s Boston High Performance meeting.

DAVID GILLICK has not run an indoor 400m since the European indoor championships final in Madrid a year ago, when he stormed home to win a treasured gold medal.

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Brendan Mooney

MARK CARROLL is almost certain to take his place alongside Alastair Cragg in the 3,000m at the European Indoor Championships in Madrid next month and will also take part in the BUPA Great Ireland Run on April 19.

WITH places still up for grabs on the Irish team for next month’s European Indoor Championships in Madrid, interest will centre on the Nenagh Arena over the weekend when the National Senior Championships will be decided.

Brendan Mooney

JER O’DONOGHUE made a sensational start to the new year by setting a new all-comers record when retaining the 60m title in a sizzling 6.79 secs at the Munster AAI indoor championships in Nenagh yesterday.

AILISH McSWEENEY will be the star attraction at the Munster indoor championships in Nenagh on Sunday as she attempts a double in the sprints.

GARY RYAN has always found The Mardyke something of a happy hunting ground for fast times but he will be looking for something extra today in his Olympic qualifying standard quest at the BUPA Cork City Sports.

IRELAND’S Alistair Cragg continued his indoor season in flawless fashion with a double victory at the 2004 Southeastern Conference Championships in Lexington, Kentucky at the weekend.