Irish stars under starter’s orders

WITH qualifying standards due to be announced in April/May, the build-up to London 2012 has already begun for Irish athletes with the cream of the current crop already in training camps around the world.

Two-time European silver medallist and former world indoor hurdles champion, Derval O’Rourke, was an early arrival at the established training camp at Potchefstroom, South Africa, where she will be joined by her coach, Sean Cahill, later in the month.

Middle distance stars Mary Cullen, Róisín McGettigan, Fionnuala Britton and Deirdre Byrne also travelled to Potchefstroom this week and the news from there is that Britton will run some indoor races in Germany with a view to qualifying for the European indoor championships in Paris the first weekend in March although her emphasis will be on the world cross-country championships in Spain two weeks after that.