No Odyssey for O’Rourke

DERVAL O’ROURKE has withdrawn from next weekend’s Woodies DIY All-Ireland indoor championships at the Odyssey Arena in Belfast but her coach, Sean Cahill, insists there is no need for concern.

Paul Hession, who set a national 60m record there a couple of years ago, will also miss the meeting and he has also withdrawn from the European indoor championships to concentrate on the outdoor track season.

O’Rourke, former world indoor 60m hurdles champion and a bronze medallist at the European indoors two years ago, was billed as one of the star attractions at the Odyssey but she pulled out of the event yesterday — just over two weeks away from the European indoor championships in Paris on March 4.