O’Rourke battles with world’s best in Lausanne

AFTER a weekend that has given much promise for the rest of the season, Derval O’Rourke will be back among the best 100m hurdlers in the world at the Grand Prix 1 meeting in Lausanne tonight.

Reigning world champion Michelle Perry from the USA, who set the fastest time in the world last year (12.43 secs) at the corresponding meeting in Lausanne, will go to the line as favourite.

She is currently one of the four in contention for the Golden League Jackpot after her wins in Oslo and Paris, and will again take on European outdoor and indoor champion Susanna Kallur from Sweden, who was runner-up to her in both Oslo and Paris.

Also starting will be World Championships qualifier Lolo Jones (USA). Perry, Kallur and Jones took the first three spots in Paris last Friday night when newly crowned US champion, Virginia Powell, crashed out at the penultimate hurdle.

While all that drama was unfolding in Paris, Derval O’Rourke was getting herself back together in Budapest where she was an emphatic winner of the 100m hurdles in 13.05 secs. She came out the following day and won again in 13.07 secs and, according to her coach, Jim Kilty, this latter run was her best technical run of the season.

“She was pleased with it from that point of view,” he said. “But she was not entirely happy. It certainly did not reflect her training session with Ciara Sheehy midweek when she set a new personal best for 120 metres.”

Meanwhile Eoin Hannon (Tullamore Harriers) has been included in the Irish team for next week’s European Junior Championships in Hengelo.

Hannon, who set a schools record en route to a long jump-high hurdles double last month, cleared 7.43 metres winning the national junior long jump title in Tullamore on Sunday. While this was over the 7.40m standard set by the EAA it was under the AAI standard which was set at 7.45m.

On Sunday night, however, AAI included him in the eight-strong team for Hengelo which includes five athletes from Waterford — four from the Ferrybank club.

David McCarthy, following his 3:46.15 run in Oordegem on Saturday night, will go into the 1,500m as the fourth fastest in Europe.

With Kelly Proper qualified in the long jump and Jessie Barr and Kalyn Sheehan qualified at 400m, Mairead Murphy achieved her qualifying standard at 100m hurdles in Belgium on Saturday night. It was a remarkable achievement by the Ferrybank all-rounder who was out for six weeks with glandular fever and then went straight into her Leaving Cert exams.

The long lay-off forced her to abandon the heptathlon this season but her tenacious return was rewarded with a qualifying standard for the European junior championships in the 100m hurdles — one of her best events.

Suzanne Huet, a niece for former international Denis Noonan is named at 5,000m but there is no place for Niall Tuohy (Ferrybank) despite a gallant effort in Tullamore on Sunday after failing by just 2secs to get the qualifying standard for 800m in Oordgem on Saturday.

IRELAND TEAM: Men’s 1,500m: David McCarthy (West Waterford); Men’s Long Jump: Eoin Hannon (Tullamore Harriers); Women’s 100m/200m: Amy Foster (North Down AC); Women’s 5,000m: Suzanne Huett (Dundrum/South Dublin); Women’s Long Jump: Kelly Proper (Ferrybank AC); Women’s 100m Hurdles: Mairead Murphy (Ferrybank AC); Women’s 400m Hurdles: Jessie Barr (Ferrybank AC) and Kalyn Sheehan (Ferrybank AC).