SPORTS Minister Mary Hanafin yesterday refused to rule out the construction of an indoor athletics arena.

Derval O'Rourke pulled another top drawer performance out of the bag to win a precious silver medal in tonight's 100m hurdles at the European Championships in Barcelona.

AILIS McSWEENEY was chuffed when Derval O’Rourke arrived around with a bouquet of flowers on Thursday night.

DERVAL O’ROURKE will be one of the stars in action when her club, Leevale AC, stages its Annual Sports at the CIT track, Bishopstown, on April 18.

DERVAL O’ROURKE will commence building on the phenomenal year that was 2009 when she travels to Portugal for warm weather training tomorrow – she already had a session in Cork over the festive season when she sneaked into the CIT track in Bishopstown.

OLIVE LOUGHNANE, silver medallist in the 20k walk at the world championships in Berlin, was named Ireland’s ‘Athlete of the Year’ at an awards ceremony in the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Santry, on Saturday night.

Olive Loughnane of Loughrea AC was named Athlete of the Year at tonight’s National Athletics Awards in Dublin.

AILIS McSWEENEY highlighted her return to form by reclaiming the national indoor 60m title at the Woodies DIY Irish indoor championships at the Odyssey Arena in Belfast last year but there will be more at stake when she defends the title this year.

“DON’T write Derval O’Rourke off,” was the clear message from world renowned sports injury therapist, Gerard Hartmann, as the former world indoor hurdles champion packed her bags for the Olympic Games in Beijing.

DERVAL O’ROURKE will launch a belated build-up to the world championships at tomorrow night’s international indoor meeting in Athens.