Injury forces hurdles star O’Rourke out of Cork City Sports

DERVAL O’ROURKE has withdrawn from Saturday’s Cork City Sports because of a groin injury picked up at the European Team Championships in Slovakia two weeks ago.

The former world indoor champion — a bronze medallist at this year’s Europeans in Turin — had star billing for The Mardyke and was preparing to take her place on the line against such notables as Sarah Claxton from Britain, twice winner of the 100m hurdles at the event and last year’s winner, Andrea Bliss from Jamaica.

Yesterday, however, she conceded that she would not be fit enough, that the injury will take a bit longer to heal and made the decision which was heartbreaking not just for herself but for her fans in Cork.

Every year she faced star-studded fields in the women’s 100m with the result that she has yet to win at the City Sports.

“We understand her predicament and we are fully behind her,” City Sports chairman, Dick Hodgins, said yesterday. “A groin injury is always a serious matter and particularly in the case of hurdlers and, at the end of the day, rest is an all-important factor in recovery. She is getting the best of treatment and we believe she will be back in full training in two weeks and will be ready to take her place in the Irish team for the world championships in Berlin in August.

“At her request, we have put together a star-studded field for the 100m hurdles. The holder, Andrea Bliss from Jamaica, is back to defend the title and she will be joined by Sarah Claxton from the UK who won in 2006 and 2007.”

Bliss has a best time of 12.83 while Claxton has a best time of 12.81 from last year. She set a British record in the heats of the 60m hurdles at the European indoor championships but finished last in the final in which Derval O’Rourke won the bronze medal behind Elin Berings from Belgium and Lucie Skrobakova from the Czech Republic.

Jenny Adams from the USA who has a best of 12.63 secs and Fatima Fofanah from Guyana, both coached by the former Irish sprint champion, Joe Ryan, are also included in the field. Ireland’s rising star, Mairead Murphy from the Ferrybank club will maintain Irish interest in the event when she joins Fanny Juhasz from Hungary and Heather Jones from Wales in the field.

Ryan, who was coach to the Guyana team at last year’s Olympic Games in Beijing, also coaches 400m runner, Aliann Pompey, who is also from Guyana. Pompey arrived in Cork on Tuesday and was present at yesterday’s lunch, hosted by Brigadier General Patrick Hayes at Collins Barracks.

The return to competitive high jumping of Adrian O’Dwyer has caused quite a stir if not a sensation and the fact that he has chosen Saturday’s meet could prove significant.

The Kilkenny man claimed the Irish record when he qualified for the Athens Olympics but little has been seen of him since.

On Saturday he will compete against Jamie Nieto from the US. Nieto had his best performance of the season and set a meet record last year when he cleared 2.30m at The Mardyke. He is joined by fellow American Adam Shunk, 2.28m, and the US collegiate champion, Mickael Hanany, who had a best of 2.32m last year. The 26-year-old Frenchman also has a best of 8.03m for the long jump.