O'Rourke qualifies for Worlds and Olympics

Two-time European silver medallist Derval O'Rourke achieved the qualifying times for both this year's World Championships and the 2012 Olympics at a meeting in Switzerland yesterday.

O'Rourke clocked a season's best of 12.84 in the 100m hurdles at the La Chaux-de-Fonds event, finishing second behind local athlete Lisa Urech (12.62).

Giving her reaction on her website, O'Rourke said: "I finally started to run the way I have in training today at a meet.

"I ran the first five hurdles really well but then had a bad few hurdles after that and had to work hard in the end. The Swiss girl Lisa Urech totally nailed it. Not a huge surprise but still very impressive.

"By no means was today my perfect day but it was just what I needed right now. The time was under my qualifying criteria for the World Championships and the Olympic Games. So. roll on Daegu and London."

The Leevale clubwoman had run a sub-13 seconds time in the heat (12.97), and was also part of the Irish 4x100m relay team that came sixth in their race (45.49).

The quartet, which included Claire Bergin, Niamh Whelan and Ailis McSweeney, shaved 0.22 seconds off their previous best time.

North Down's Amy Foster set a new personal best of 11.52 seconds when finishing third in the 100 metres. She clocked 23.4 seconds in the 200m for second place - it is her fastest time ever, but the following wind was +3.0.

Niamh Whelan from Ferrybank AC finished third in another 200m final in a seasonal best of 23.87 (wind +1.1) which is inside the standard for upcoming European Under-23 Championships.

Whelan achieved the 100m standard last week in Lausanne when she ran 11.72.