O’Rourke and Hession have golden ambitions
Both Irish athletes were given third place as North Sea gales battered the Norwegian coastal city and wrought havoc on times.
The decision was especially hard on O’Rourke. Her 100m race was won by Canada’s world class hurdler, Angela Whyte, in 13.47 secs. However, in what appeared to be a hometown decision, Christina Vukicevic (Norway) was awarded second place (13.64) with O’Rourke ‘given’ third in 13.69 secs.
Her coach, Jim Kilty, said: “She asked to see the photograph of the finish afterwards but they would not give it to her,”
“With a headwind of 3.9 metres per second it was not an evening for fast times and Derval, who hates running slow, was quite happy with her performance.”
“There were a lot of positives. This was her first race since September and, allowing for the headwind, she would have run around 13 seconds flat which would compare favourably with her first race in Cork last year.
“But we had more hurdles done last year. This time we missed a little bit of training during May. We did just two hurdles sessions in Portugal and three here in Ireland and we have not gone to eight or nine hurdles so that is something that will improve straight away.
“Another positive was the fact that she led Angela Whyte to the seventh hurdle which amazed both of them. It was only when Derval made a slight mistake that the Canadian took the lead.”
Kilty admitted that she faces a huge assignment tonight in the Bislett Stadium. European champion, Susanna Kallur (Sweden), is in the line-up along with Kirsten Bolm (Germany) who dead heated with O’Rourke for second place in Gothenburg.
Michelle Perry from the USA, two Jamaicans, Delloreen Ennis London and Brigitte Foster, while the Spaniard of African extraction, Josphine Onyia are also threats.
“It is a big ask for Derval who has only had the one race since she last competed at this level last September,” said Kilty.
“But she knows where she’s at. She is a very strong-willed person and knows all the progress will be made over the next couple of months in the lead up to the world championships.”
Hession, who set a new Irish record at 10.28 secs earlier this month in Greece, ran 10.80 secs for third place into a headwind in Stavanger on Wednesday.
After adding national records at 60m (indoors) and 100m this year he returns to his prime event — the 200m — in Olso tonight and, if conditions are in his favour, his current form would indicate that he is about to rewrite his 200m record as well.
In what can only be regarded as a major coup for the organisers, he has confirmed that he will compete in the 100m as well as the 200m at Cork City on June 30. The field has taken on world class proportions with the return of last year’s winner, John Woods, from Colorado.
DaBrien Blanton, who ran under 10 seconds last year, competes as does Ricardo Williams from Jamaica who was second to Hession in the 100m in Greece and then finished ahead of him when winning the 200m.
The women’s sprint record holder, Anna Boyle, competes in “B” 100 metres in Oslo tonight after running 12.4 secs in Stavanger.
James Nolan returns to Oslo to compete in the 1,500 while Irish steeplechase record holder, Roisin McGhettigan, competes in the women’s steeplechase.
Meanwhile Athletics Ireland yesterday announced their team to compete at the European Cup in Vaasa, Finland next weekend. The team includes Double European Indoor Champion David Gillick and World Indoor Champion Derval O’Rourke. O’Rourke will complete in the 100m Hurdles while Gillick is set to race in the 400m.
Men’s: D Gillick (400m), P Hession (100/200m D McCarthy (800m), D Campbell (1500m) M Kirwan (3000m Steeple Chase) J Nolan (3000m), M Fagan (5000m), I McDonald (110m H), J Miller (400m H), S Fleming (Long Jump), J Ritchie (Triple Jump), C Crowley (High Jump), S Breathnach (Shot Putt), E Leen (Discus), P White (Hammer), A Crawford (Javelin), A McCreery (Pole Vault), J Smyth, J O’Donoghue, G Kennedy, D Graham, P McKee and P Hession (all 4x100m Relay), P McKee, G Kennedy, D McCarthy, B Murphy and D Gillick (all 4x400m Relay).
Women’s: A Boyle (100m), C Sheehy (200m), J Cuddihy (400m), R-Anne Galligan (800m), K Reid (1500m), L Byrne (3000m Steeplechase), O Drumm (3000m), F Britton (5000m), D O’Rourke (100m H), M Carey (400m H), K Proper (Long Jump), S Barry (Triple Jump), D Ryan (High Jump), L Cogan (Shot Putt), E O’Keeffe (Discus/Hammer), L Kerr (Javelin), C Wilkinson (Pole Vault), A McSweeney, E Maher, A Boyle, C Sheehy, J Cuddihy and D O’Rourke (all 4x100m Relay), J Cuddihy, C Sheehy, M Carey, E McCaffrey (all 4x400m Relay)
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