O'Rourke optimistic ahead of Gothenburg

Derval O'Rourke hopes to join a select group of Irish athletes when she guns for glory in Gothenburg next week.

Only five Irish athletes have won medals at the European Championships previously - Ronnie Delany (bronze, 1500 metres, 1958), Frank Murphy (silver, 1500m, 1969), Eamonn Coughlan (silver, 1500m, 1978), Mark Carroll (bronze, 5000m, 1998) and Sonia O'Sullivan (gold, 3000m, 1994; gold, 5000m, gold, 10000m, 1998; silver, 5000m, silver, 10000m, 2002) - but Cork hurdler O'Rourke feels she is a strong contender for a podium finish in Sweden.

The 25-year-old travels to the Europeans as one of Ireland's leading medal hopes, having twice lowered her national record in the 100m hurdles this summer.

O'Rourke's current best - 12.85 seconds - has her seventh in the European rankings and her pedigree as a top championship performer means home town favourite Susanna Kallur will not have it all her own way.

Speaking at a press conference in Dublin this afternoon, the reigning World Indoor 60m hurdles champion commented: "There's four people in with a chance of winning it (the 100m hurdles) in Gothenburg and I think I'm one of them. Obviously there are three medals so it'll be a good fight.

"All my personal bests have come from championships, so I know it will all click," she added.

"I love going to championships and I know I can pull it out. The nerves are starting to come and I'm getting a bit excited.

"I look at the people who on the day are there to run, and the other girls will know that I'm ready to go. I may not have beaten them on the circuit during the year but on that one day I'll be ready."