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.

Athletics Ireland have confirmed that an Irish athlete Steven Colvert has been tested for a banned substance.

Irish sprinter Steven Colvert has been forced to withdraw from the European Team Championships in Tallinn, Estonia this weekend due to an adverse finding for EPO in an out of competition test on May 20.

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.

Kelly Proper joined Rob Heffernan as Ireland's most decorated indoor champion at today’s Woodies DIY national indoor championships.

Kelly Proper took athlete of the championships after taking four gold medals at the Woodies DIY national track and field championships.

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

Togher AC’s Rob Heffernan was named as the Athlete of the Year at the National Athletics Awards in association with Woodie’s DIY and Tipperary Crystal on Saturday night.

By Alan Smith

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

Derval O'Rourke continued her build-up for the World Championships by winning her ninth national title at Santry's Morton Stadium today.

BRIAN GREGAN took his career to anew level with asilver medal in the men’s 400m at the European U23 championships with a new personal best time of 46.12 secs in Ostrava on Saturday.

Ireland's athletes are 10th of the 12 competing nations after the opening day's events in the European Team Championships 1st League in Izmir, Turkey.

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

LIAM HENNESSY, President of Athletics Ireland, was elected to the Council of European Athletics at the European Athletics Congress in London.

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.

THE fallout from David Gillick’s disappointing performance in the 400m final on Friday night may have cost the Irish men’s 4x400m relay team a place in yesterday’s final and possible qualification for next year’s world championships in Korea.

Derval O’Rourke claimed Ireland’s first medal of the European Championships tonight but there was not quite such good news in the final of the men’s 5,000m, as Alistair Cragg, who had led the race with seven laps to go, dropped out before the finish.

Both of the Ireland women's relay teams just missed out on qualification for their respective finals at the European Championships in Barcelona this morning, but they had the consolation of setting new national records.

The Ireland women's relay team just missed out on a place in the 4x100 metres relay final at the European Championships in Barcelona this morning.

WHEN Steven Colvert, a relative newcomer to the sport of athletics, develops the strength to see the race out, he is going to be a formidable force in 200m running.

ROBERT Heffernan put weeks of frustration behind him when he retained his 10,000m walk title at the Woodies DIY National track and field championships at Morton Stadium yesterday where he beat his Olympic team mate, Jamie Costin, who claimed his 3,000m record in Cork a week earlier and, to cap it all, picked up the Athlete of the Meet Award and the €1,000 that went with it.

David Gillick warmed up for the forthcoming World Championships by claiming the 200 metres title at the Woodie's DIY National Athletics Championships at Morton Stadium this afternoon.