O’Rourke chasing double

DERVAL O’ROURKE bids to claim national titles in the AAA championships in Birmingham on Saturday and the Woodies DIY Irish indoor championships in Belfast’s Odyssey Arena on Sunday.

Her coach, Sean Cahill, said the busy schedule is part of her build-up to next month’s European indoors in Paris.

Cahill explained: “She needs races and the plan is for two rounds on Saturday and two rounds again on Sunday and that will give her four runs. “After that we will have two weeks of sharpening before the Europeans. For one reason or another we have not done an awful lot of hurdles to date.”

O’Rourke’s training partner and Leevale clubmate, Ailis McSweeney, also competes in Belfast on Sunday.

Her participation was in doubt after ill health impacted on her performance in Lievin last week.

Cahill explained: “When we got back to the airport I thought she did not look well and when she said she did not feel great we got her checked out and it was discovered she had an ear infection. “She has been on antibiotics and it has cleared up so I would expect a big run from her on Sunday.”