Illness forces Cullen out

Ireland's Mary Cullen was a notable absentee from today's 3000 metres heats at the European Indoor Championships in Paris.

The Sligo athlete, who has a stomach complaint, was withdrawn from her first round face on medical grounds.

It is cruel luck for Cullen who won a bronze medal at these Championships in Turin two years ago.

She recently impressed as a winner of the1500m title at the Irish Indoor Championships in Belfast, having come back from breaking her collarbone in a bike accident last November.

Her season's best over the longer distance of 8:53.01 would have given her a shot at another European medal.

In the Bercy Arena in the French capital, Tori Pena from the Finn Valley club set another new Irish record in the pole vault.

She cleared 4.35m with her third successful vault of the qualification round. Unfortunately, it was only good enough for 12th overall and she finished out of the qualifying positions.

Pena, who is Irish-qualified through her Derry grandmother, had three failed attempts at 4.45m but can be pleased with her excellent progression so far this year.

On the track, Cork's Ailis McSweeney made it through to this afternoon's 60m semi-finals as one of the fastest losers.

She came home in fourth place in her heat, clocking 7.38 seconds in a race won by the Ukraine's Hrystyna Stuy (7.27).

McSweeney, who has a personal best of 7.32 from earlier this year, will go in the first semi-final at 3.10pm Irish time.

Meanwhile, Kelly Proper missed out on qualification for the long jump final. The Ferrybank athlete leaped to a season's best of 6.45m, after earlier jumps of 6.27m and 6.29m.

The final qualifier, Nastassia Mironchyk-Ivanova from Belarus, went through with a jump of 6.58m, while Russia's Yuliya Pidluzhnaya topped the list with a new personal best of 6.74m.