Steven Colvert has declared he will "go down any route" to clear his name after his A sample tested positive for EPO, even if it involves having to take it to court which would incur costs of a six-figure sum.

When Michael Cusack founded the Gaelic Athletic Association in 1884 he had two main aims: to re-establish hurling as the national game and to promote athletics throughout the country.

The announcement of Roy Keane as assistant manager to Martin O’Neill got me very excited.

Race-walking legend Olive Loughnane believes Robert Heffernan can use his fourth place finish at the London Olympics as a springboard to success at the upcoming World Track and Field Championships in Moscow.

Each medal won at the London Olympics came with a €6m taxpayer price tag — with a further €6.5m going toward training people who failed to qualify.

Irish boxing is punching above its weight

Following the performance of our boxers at the Olympic Games, particularly Katie Taylor winning gold, we are all proud of them for their achievements.

It was always going to be difficult to repeat his semi-final faring in Beijing.

Ireland’s Paul Hession failed to make it out of the heats of the 200 metres at the Olympic Stadium today.

The Olympics continues today with plenty of Irish involvement and the potential for another medal in the boxing ring.

If Derval O’Rourke runs like she is capable of running she will make tonight’s final of the women’s 100m hurdles at the Olympic Stadium, according to her coach Sean Cahill.

Four years ago in Beijing Paul Hession turned in a stunning performance to win his second round heat and qualify for the semi-finals of the 200m at the Olympic Games.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

A groin injury ruined Brian Gregan’s hopes of a medal at the European Athletics Championships, with a brave performance seeing him struggle over the line after being in the top three throughout the 400m final in Helsinki.

Paul Hession has qualified for tomorrow's final of the men's 200m at the European Athletics Championships in Helsinki.

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.

Brian Gregan will line up for today’s final of the men’s 400m at the European championships in Helsinki as a live medal hope after another impressive performance in the semi-finals that saw him claim automatic qualification by finishing second.

Another sensational day in Helsinki has seen three Irish athletes qualify for finals at the European Athletics Championships.

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.

Cork City Sports chairman Tony O’Connell yesterday described the entry list for next month’s event as “shaping up to be the best” in the event’s history.

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 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.

European cross-country champion Fionnuala Britton has secured her second Olympic 'A' standard for London 2012 by beating the 10,000m mark by 16 seconds.

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.

It was last autumn, not long after he failed to make it through the 200m heats in the World Championships in Daegu, that Paul Hession, see picture below, realised something had to change.

Irish 200 metres record-holder Paul Hession plans to be in the shake-up with Usain Bolt and reach the business end of their events at the London Olympics this summer.

Maria McCambridge has become the 15th athlete to qualify for the Irish Track and Field team for this year’s Olympic Games in London.

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

Ciara Everard and Laura Crowe combined to produce the most exciting race of the domestic indoor season when they clashed in the 800m at the recent Universities Championships in Nenagh, breaking the U23 record set by Sonia O’Sullivan all of 22 years ago.

GALWAY’S 2010 European 200m finalist Paul Hession has slammed the GAA’s training ban, claiming it can contribute to burnout rather than preventing it.

ALREADY qualified for the 20k walk at next year’s Olympic Games, Robert Heffernan can fight for a medal on two fronts after posting his qualifying standard for the 50k walk at Naumburg.

Paul Hession is to move his London 2012 training base from Scotland to Dublin to work with coach John Coghlan.

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.

CIARAN Ó LIONAIRD took another giant step forward in his fragmented athletics career yesterday when he finished sixth in his semi-final of the men’s 1,500m at the world championships in Daegu to qualify for tomorrow’s final.

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).

ALISTAIR CRAGG will join Ciarán Ó Lionaird on tomorrow’s programme in the heats of the 5,000m while Deirdre Ryan will compete in the qualifying rounds of the high jump.