O'Rourke can take comfort with time

ATHLETICS IRISH INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS:ONE OF the things about running indoors is it eliminates most excuses. Conditions aren't a factor so when you're beaten it's usually by a better athlete – at least on the day.

Derval O’Rourke had to take that approach after losing the 60 metres hurdles at the Irish Indoor championships in Belfast’s Odyssey Arena. Despite running her fastest time of the season, an encouraging 8.12 seconds, O’Rourke was beaten by Britain’s Gemma Bennett – who was, obviously, competing as a guest.

Bennett took the win in a personal best of 8.07 seconds, although what was satisfying for O’Rourke was that her 8.12 came in her third race in less than 24 hours. Having run 8.19 in Stuttgart the previous evening, she ran 8.17 in her heat (where she beat Bennett) and then the 8.12 – which clearly suggests she’s headed in the right direction as next month’s European Indoors approach.

“The thing is I am disappointed not to win,” she said, “so it’s hard for me to look at the time and be too happy with it.

“But I am getting quicker all the time. I had two flights this morning as well, so I can’t be too harsh on myself.

“My first race last week (in Moscow) was such an absolute disaster, and that was a hard throw back for me, because training has gone so well. I just need to relax more in races now, let it all happen, and not worry too much about it.”

Truth is O’Rourke was left in the blocks a little bit, and with four weeks to go before the European Indoors, set for March 6th-8th in Turin, there is probably more to come: “Training-wise, everything is going great. I’m sprinting better, lifting better. It’s just a case now of having enough belief when I stand on the start line to make it happen. I think after two dodgy years your belief goes down a little bit, and you have to find that again.”

O’Rourke ran 7.90 at the same venue three years ago en route to winning her World Indoor title, but there are signs she’s coming back into that sort of form and she is at least guaranteed her selection for Turin.

Paul Hession is also coming into the form at the right time, even though he too was beaten by a better athlete on the day – the American Josh Norman. The difference for Hession is he’s competing over 60 metres, over two-thirds short of his specialist 200 metres, which is no longer a championship event indoors.

Like O’Rourke, he improved with each race – winning his heat in 6.82 seconds, his semi-final in 6.76, and then running 6.71 in the final. Norman, however, took advantage of a better start to win quite comfortably in 6.62 seconds.

“I think I had a better time in me, if I had just got out a little better,” said Hession. “I really ripped the last 20 metres, so my top speed is very good at the moment. I’m only a week into the season and it’s still really good, but give a start to an athlete like Norman, and you’re always playing catch-up.

“But there’s a lot to work on. And I’m taking the indoor season as a whole. The European Indoors are just part of it. I’m focusing on more technical things, like getting my start nailed down. If I can pull it all together at the Europeans then we’ll see, but I’m not looking at making the final, or running this time. I’m just looking to be really competitive, without putting much pressure on myself. I’ll have two more races before Turin, but once the indoors are over it’s straight back into the hard work for the summer.”

One notable spectator at the Odyssey was David Gillick, who will open his indoor season next weekend, but he confirmed he will attempt a third successive European Indoor 400-metre title next month – although “it’s not the priority of the year”, he explained.

As well as several Irish records over the weekend, what was encouraging about the championships was the high entry across most events – and the continuing emergence of some exciting young prospects.

At 16, Ciara Mageean from Lisburn is clearly one to watch after her gun-to-tape victory in the women’s 1,500 metres – her time of 4:20.88 also earning her a national junior record. Rose Anne Galligan did shadow her throughout but there was no denying Mageean’s class on the last lap as she retained her title, albeit just about.

Kieran Kelly set a new Irish indoor record in the shot with a distance of 18.30 metres, Zoe Brown raised the national pole vault record to an impressive 4.0 metres even, and Kelly Proper jumped 6.32 metres to equal her own long jump record.There was also a high-class performance in the women’s 3,000 metres as Wicklow’s Deirdre Byrne ran a solo 9:04.74, nine seconds inside her old best and enough to ensure she too is Turin-bound.

Over in Boston, Mary Cullen also tuned up for Turin with a third place finish over 5,000 metres, clocking 15:18.34, while Róisín McGettigan was fourth in the mile, running 4:30.06.