O’Rourke heads up Irish pre-selection
European cross-country champion Fionnuala Britton along with pole vaulter Tori Pena and Kelly Proper — long jump — have also been selected.
The Irish team in full will be announced on Monday, June 10.
Prior to the European Cup, O’Rourke will compete in this weekend’s AAI Games where the Leevale hurdler will look to improve on her season’s best time of 13.42.
The former European silver medallist will face stiff competition from Sarah Lavin who recently smashed O’Rourke’s National Junior record when clocking 13.45 in Geneva. Marcus Lawler, fresh from his record breaking exploits at the All-Ireland schools championships, is entered in both the 100m and 200m.
Leading Irish athletes who will compete at the Cork City Sports on July 2 include Derval O’Rourke, Robert Heffernan, Ciarán Ó Lionaird, Kelly Proper, Ailis McSweeney, Marian Heffernan, Fionnuala Britton and Brian Gregan.
Among the top international athletes to feature in Cork will be Cornel Fredricks (South Africa), who captured the prestigious American Trophy last July; Colis Birmingham (Australia); London Olympic silver medallist, Manteo Mitchell (USA); Kim Conley (USA), Zoe Buckman (Australia) and Ben True (USA), the leading non African finisher at the World Cross Country Championships in Poland.
Up and coming new Irish Junior record holder, Sarah Lavin, and rising British hurdler Yasmin Miller, will ensure some stiff opposition for O’Rourke in one of the highlights of the meet.
With athletes from Ireland, USA, Australia, Ethiopia, The Bahamas, Jamaica, South Africa, New Zealand, Czech Republic, Sweden, Spain, Japan, Kazakhstan, Canada, Kenya, England, Poland, France, Hungary, Bulgaria, Russia, Germany and Slovenia, already confirmed, a feast of athletics goes ahead on Tuesday evening, with a 5.30pm start at CIT Athletics Stadium, Bishopstown.
Olympic champion Usain Bolt was unable to claim victory in his first Diamond League race of the season last night as Justin Gatlin’s impressive form continued, edging out the Jamaican to win the 100 metres in Rome.
Gatlin claimed 100m successes in the opening Diamond League round in Doha and again last time out in Eugene and the 2012 Olympic bronze medalist added another triumph tonight after pipping Bolt on the line at the Olympic Stadium.
Bolt, who has been struggling with injury and whose only previous 100m race this year saw him clock a sluggish 10.09seconds in a victory in the Cayman islands a month ago, was quickly out of the blocks but he could not push on as American Gatlin took the win in 9.94secs. Bolt crossed in 9.95secs with Frenchman Jimmy Vicaut third in 10.02secs.
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