O’Rourke spot-on for Paris

DERVAL O’ROURKE will be fighting fit for the first round heats of the 60m hurdles at the European indoor championships in Paris on Friday.

The former world indoor champion has been treating a slight injury which, according to her coach, Sean Cahill, was probably caused by overstraining in her bid to win her last race in France a couple of weeks ago.

Cahill said yesterday she is fully recovered and is confident she will be fully fit for Paris where she will be hoping to improve on the bronze medal she won in Turin two years ago.

“She had no problems whatsoever over the weekend,” he said.

“She is AOK and I would see her going to Paris with a live chance next week provided she does not get sore again between now and then.

“Obviously she was just striding out at the weekend — some light training — and that’s not a worry because at this point all the hard work is done.

“It is just that we have to be very careful.

“We have to gauge it and give her as long as possible to recover — make sure there is no recurrence.

He said the amended programme for the championships will suit O’Rourke.

Now the heats will take place at 8.20am (Irish time) on the first day with the semi-finals at 2.45pm and the final at 5.40pm on the same day.

“That will suit Derval in a number of ways,” he said.

“First of all she likes to get stuck in and she is so strong three races the same day won’t make any difference. In fact I would see her get stronger and faster with each race.

“As well as that Christina Vukicevic of Norway, who heads the rankings, always runs quick in her first race and then tends to slow down.”

Carolin Nytra from Germany who set the early season pace has been struggling with an injury and has not raced for a while.

“Vukicevic ran 7.90 secs and has been running slower ever since,” Cahill pointed out.

“That can happen and when it does it’s not great for the head.

“Derval, on the other hand, has been running quicker with each race despite the fact that her technique was not perfect by any means.

“After her last race she came back to me and said ‘it’s after clicking with me’ and that’s good because no matter what I see — unless she feels it — it is difficult for her to correct it.

He ia also looking forward to watching Ailis McSweeney in the women’s 60m after Sunday’s stunning performance at the Odyssey Arena where she ran 7.32 secs.

“Let’s face it, she is not right yet,” he said.

“She has just finished a course of antibiotics for an ear infection that is not totally cleared.

“Taking that into account, there is much more improvement in her.Nobody knows how much more. I don’t think 7.3 will make the final but 7.2 certainly will and she is well capable of doing that.

“She has proven that she is a big time competitor — we saw that in Barcelona last year — she can put it together when she needs to. Like the hurdles, the 60m is a game of fractions. The aim is to get to the final and then, when you get to the final, anything can happen.”

Team manager Patsy McGonagle, yesterday named a seven-strong team for Paris — two men and six women — with just two notable absentees.

“I discussed the situation with Ciara Mageean and Claire Brady and their coaches and they agreed it would be better if they did not to travel,” McGonagle said.