McGonagle not pressing panic button

Irish athletics chiefs and competitors last night played down the poor performances at the IAAF World Indoor Championships in Istanbul.

Derval O’Rourke (60m Hurdles) and Ciaran O Lionaird (1500m) failed to make their respective finals but Irish team manager, Patsy McGonagle wasn’t overly concerned

He said: “I wouldn’t want to overstate the championships. It’s all about the Olympics for the elite performers. It’s not a statement about Irish athletics at the moment.”

Athletics Ireland High Performance Director, Kevin Ankrom added: “Derval and Ciaran would have liked to have performed better but this championships is just a stepping stone for both of towards their ultimate target, the London Olympics.”

But Ankrom found positives in the display of Ben Reynolds who made the semi-finals of his first major championship.

Ankrom said: “Ben (Reynolds) produced two solid performances showing his championship credentials at his first majors.”

O’Rourke ran a season best 8.13 on Saturday to finish sixth in her semi-final. The Leevale star said: “It was a bad day but everything moves on. I felt I could come here and run well I think I’m close to pb shape but I just haven’t performed.”

Ó Lionaird blamed his poor performance when finishing 11th in 3:50.12 in his heat on a tight Achilles tendon. However, he admitted there were other issues at play. The Cork native said: “I’ve felt flat. I’m still trying to mature and become a professional athlete. There are certain aspects of my life that are yet to catch up with that. I’ve learned a lot in Istanbul and hopefully by London I’ll have a few things tightened up.

Meanwhile the anticipated clash between Kevin Dooney (CBC Monkstown) and Seán Tobin (High School Clonmel) in the senior boys’ race provided a thrilling conclusion to Saturday’s 2012 Aviva All-Ireland Schools’ Cross Country Championships at St Mary’s College, Galway.

The pair battled hard over the fast and undulating course, before Dooney made a break on the final lap and opened up a gap of 15 metres.

Dooney held off a late Tobin sprint finish to record his first All-Ireland Schools’ Cross Country title. Ryan Holt (Methodist College, Belfast) took bronze. St. Coleman’s Newry, with 55 points, won the team title from St. Malachy’s College (76) and High School Clonmel (122).

Clar Nic Carthaigh (Coláiste Iosagain) won the senior girls’ title from Lorna Fitzpatrick (Sacred Heart, Newry) and Mary Mulhare (Scoil Criost Ri, Portlaise). NicCarthaigh also had the satisfaction of leading her school to the team title over Dublin rivals St. Dominic’s Cabra.

Siofra Cleirigh Buttner (Coláiste Iosagain) was a clear winner of the intermediate girls’ race from Sarah NiMhaolmhuire (Coláiste Iosagain) and Jessica Coyne (Crescent Col. Comp. Limerick).

This was her fourth All Ireland Schools’ cross country title in-a-row- the first athlete to achieve this remarkable string of victories. Coláiste Iosagain won the team title from Ballyclare High School.

Kyle Larkin (Ard Scoil Rís, Limerick) coasted to a comfortable victory in the intermediate boys’ race ahead of Ryan Sharkey (Methodist College, Belfast) and Conall Kirk (Sullivan’s Upper).