RETIRED international athlete David Gillick realised something vital very early in his track and field career.

A soldier who killed his 20-month-old daughter after surviving a rogue attack in Afghanistan has been jailed for six years.

A soldier who was wounded in a rogue attack in Afghanistan is to be sentenced today after admitting to killing his 19-month-old daughter.

A four-year-old mauled to death by a pet dog in Britain has been described by neighbours as a happy, sweet little girl.

Jessica Ennis-Hill admitted her World Championship hopes were in the balance after enduring a frustrating return to the Olympic Stadium.

A few weeks ago we sat down with Cork footballer Eoin Cadogan, who mentioned the course he was doing in Setanta College.

CLUBS INTERNATIONAL:

Tom Daley’s mother has hit back at criticism of her son by British Swimming chief David Sparkes in a long letter published by the Daily Mail.

David Ames insists his loyalty still lies with Ireland — but has yet to set a date for when he will end his self-imposed international exile.

The injury concerns over Derval O’Rourke eased yesterday when the Athletics Ireland physiotherapist team insisted they can get her back to full fitness following the back spasm that led to her shock late withdrawal from the Woodies DIY track and field championships on Sunday.

Derval O'Rourke's back spasm will not threaten her participation in the London Olympic Games next month.

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.

Chelsea manager Roberto Di Matteo has confirmed Daniel Sturridge is suffering from viral meningitis but is hopeful he will be fit to take his part in Team GB’s Olympic squad.

Chelsea striker Daniel Sturridge is undergoing tests for suspected meningitis, it is understood.

The Olympic torch shone a light on the North’s dramatic north coast today on the second day of its journey around the region.

Day 3: We wake in our campsite near Whitchurch and drag ourselves out of our tents. It's a drizzly grey morning.

Two more Irish competitors, 17-year-old Belfast swimmer Sycerika McMahon and 23-year-old Melanie Nocher, have qualified for the London Olympics at the European Swimming Championships inDebrecen, Hungary, taking Ireland’s tally to four.

Ireland’s cricketers got their ICC World Twenty20 qualification campaign back on track with an empathic 10-wicket win over Kenya.

Coach Mike Ruddock praised his men for maintaining their composure and seeing off the challenge of a weak Scotland side at Dubarry Park last night to set up a Grand Slam decider away to England next Friday.

David Gillick remains unfazed by the fact he has yet to qualify for the Olympic Games men’s 400m and revealed there may be mere weeks to spare before he achieves the required ‘A’ time.

CRICKET Ireland (CI) have outlined an ambitious plan to become a Test-playing nation by 2020, in an attempt to prevent their top players declaring for England.

FIONNUALA BRITTON wasn’t the only Irish sportswoman standing on a podium yesterday.

DERVAL O’ROURKE faces a busy few days as she fine tunes her preparations for the world championships in Daegu later this month.

CIARA MAGEEAN will maintain her amazing momentum when she embarks on a busy indoor schedule that includes the Woodies DIY Irish senior championships at the Odyssey Arena in Belfast on February 19-29.

WHEN Melanie Nocher was growing up in Holywood, she never noticed the little curly-haired golf prodigy.

JONATHAN BORLEE sounded a warning to Ireland’s David Gillick ahead of next week’s European championships in Barcelona where he expects to run another national record and claim Belgium’s first medal in 16 years.

DAVID GILLICK received a welcome boost following his World Indoor Championships nightmare as he was named Europe’s Male Athlete for February.

Another 8,000 jobs are to be slashed across AstraZeneca’s global operations under a sweeping job cuts programme that has already seen 12,600 roles axed, the drugs giant said today.

Boyd Rankin has been forced to pull out of the Ireland squad to tour Sri Lanka.

IRELAND senior men’s coach Paul Revington is hoping consistency of selection will help his side spring a major surprise when they get their World Cup qualification campaign underway in Argentina next month.

JIM KIDD, David Gillick’s former coach at Dundrum/South Dublin, predicts he will break the Irish record in the final of the men’s 400m at the world championships in Berlin this evening (8.20 pm Irish time).

PAUL HESSION and Derval O’Rourke will be back to full fitness in plenty of time for the world championships which get under way in Berlin on Saturday week.

Scottish singing sensation Susan Boyle will be among a host of hopefuls waiting to hear today if they have secured a spot in the semi-finals of 'Britain’s Got Talent'.

Judges believe they may have unearthed the worst singer in the country during the 'Britain’s Got Talent' auditions, to be shown tomorrow.

DAVID GILLICK did not even know how to turn on the washing machine when he moved lock, stock and barrel to Loughborough in pursuit of excellence under renowned 400m coach Nick Deakin.

David Gillick got his first taste of the Olympics when the Irish athletics team landed at Beijing Capital Airport on Saturday, greeted by smiling volunteers and some eager local journalists.

PAUL HESSION ran another seasonal best for third place in the 200m while two more third places for David Gillick in the 400m and Alistair Cragg in the 3,000m at the Aviva Grand Prix in Crystal Palace underscored a weekend of highs and lows for Ireland’s Beijing-bound athletes.

ROISÍN McGETTIGAN earned a deserved and timely boost in advance of the Olympic Games when she won the women’s steeplechase at the first session of the VIVA British Grand Prix at Crystal Palace last night.

Turnaround company Melrose today confirmed it had approached engineering group FKI about a possible takeover valuing the firm at around £412m (€550m).

A train driver has been seriously injured when he became trapped in his cabin after hitting a footbridge.

PETER COGHLAN is hoping to take his return to top class athletics to another level tonight in Gothenburg where he will line up for the 60m hurdles against a string of international athletes.

DAVID GILLICK battled his way through to today’s semi-finals of the men’s 400m but there was heartbreak for Derval O’Rourke when she failed in her attempt to get a place in the final of the women’s 100m hurdles at the World Championships in Osaka.

DERVAL O’ROURKE admitted yesterday she faces one of the most difficult assignments of the year when she lines up for the 100m hurdles at Cork City Sports at The Mardyke on June 30.

Britain’s swimmers celebrated in a noisy corner of the packed Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne as Kirsty Balfour delivered the team’s third medal of the World Championships with a hard-earned silver in the 200metres breaststroke.