There were a number of exhilarating performances at the Woodie’s DIY Senior Indoor Championships in the Odyssey Arena this weekend. Olympians Derval O’Rourke and Paul Hession were the star attractions with athletes from across Ireland batting it out for National titles. The championships also provided athletes with an opportunity to show form and achieve qualification standards for the IAAF World Indoor Track and Field Championships which take place in Doha in March.

Derval O’Rourke opened up her indoor season in style by winning the Women’s 60m hurdles in 8.18 seconds to take her tenth national title. This is a very solid open to her season having run 8.29 seconds in the heat. The Cork women’s focus is now firmly on making the podium in the up and coming IAAF World Indoor Championships, a title she won in 2006.

In the Men’s 60m, Paul Hession of Athenry AC successfully defended his title. Hession had a successful series of runs in the rounds. In the heats the Galway man ran 6.88 seconds and followed this up with 6.75 seconds in the semi-final. This improved on his seasonal best of 6.78 seconds which he ran at IAAF indoor meet in Karlsruhe Germany last weekend. Hession went onto run 6.76 seconds in the final. Hession will not compete in the World Indoor Championships in Doha as his focus in 2010 is the European Track and Field Championships.  Nineteen year old Dean Adams of Ballymena and Antrim also impressed with a personal best of 6.89 seconds to finish second.

In the Women’s 60m Final Clare Brady of Celbridge AC was an impressive winner running 7.35 seconds, setting her fourth personal best of the indoor season. This was also well inside the qualifying standard for the World Indoor Championships of 7.40 seconds. This  exceptional performance earned her Athlete of the Meet award.  Defending champion Ailis McSweeney of Leevale AC was second in 7.49 seconds with Ferrybank’s Niamh Whelan third in 7.50 seconds.

Nick Hogan of DSD took the Men’s 400m National title in 48.59 seconds .Favourite Brian Gregan of Clonliffe Harriers failed to qualify for the A Final running 49.76 seconds in the qualifying rounds, well outside his best. Gregan made amends for this setting a new personal best of 47.58 in the B final and edges closer to the qualification for the World Indoor of 47 seconds.

In the field events Kelly Proper of Ferrybank AC took her fifth national title with a winning jump of 6.35m in her third jump.  This leap exceeded Proper’s performance at last year’s championships when she set a new Irish Indoor Record of 6.32m. The Waterford woman went on to improve on this record twice during the indoor 2009 season jumping 6.44m at the Celtic Indoor Games and 6.59m at the European Indoor Championships.  At the Vienna Gala on the 23rd of January this year, Proper continued her record breaking form, jumping 6.62m. This is inside the qualification for the IAAF World Indoor Championships which will take place in March. Proper went on to do the double taking the 200m title in 24.14 seconds following a closely fought contact with clubmate Niamh Whelan who placed second in 24.15 seconds.

There was a new Irish U23 Record in the Women’s Pole Vault with Claire Wilkinson (Ballymena & Antrim AC) jumping 3.80m breaking Erin Kinnears record of 3.73m. Mary McLoone defended her Triple Jump Title jumping 12.50m. Caoimhe King of Westport AC improved on her own Irish Junior Record by two centimeters, jumping 12.22m to finish second.

In the Men’s High Jump, favourite Kourosh Foroughi (Star of the Sea) lost out to Barry Pender of St Abbans who cleared 2.15m.

In the Women’s 3000m Deirdre Byrne of Sli Cualann AC produced another quality performance to take the title in 9.03.52 minutes. Byrne has already achieved the qualification standard for the World Indoor Championships of 9.03.00 minutes. Her personal best of 9.00.67 minutes was set at the European Indoor Championships last year. The Wicklow woman’s performance in the Odyssey at the weekend should safeguard her selection for the World Team.

Byrne also lined up in the Women’s 1500m and lead until the final lap until Kelly McNiece of City of Lisburn made a move on the inside to win in a championships best performance of 4.14.63 minutes. Byrne finished in 4.15.8 minutes. Former European Junior Champion Colin Costello showed a return to form to win the Men’s 1500m in 3.58.81, Clonliffe’s Conor Healy was second in 3.59.38 minutes and Andrew Monaghan was third in 3.59.84 minutes.

The Men’s 3000m produced an exciting race with Alan O’Brien winning his first senior indoor title in 8.11.44 minutes. O’Brien has focused on 3000m during the indoor season to build up his strength and stamina in preparation for the outdoor season when he will move back down to his preferred 800m and 1500m distances.

James McIlroy of Ballymena and Antrim AC took control of the Men’s 800m final from the gun to win in 1.52.23 minutes. In form David McCarthy (Le Cheile AC), who achieved the Indoor World qualifying standard on Tuesday, sat back in the field and only made a move with 200m to go. However McIlroy had however already opened up a significant gap which McCarthy failed to close down.

While in the Women’s 800m Ciara Mageean, produced another top class performance taking the 800m title in a new Junior Indoor Record of 2.07.82 minutes. The record of 2.08.74 set by Arlene Smith in 1991 was always going to be under threat. Mageean had an exceptional season in 2009 winning gold in the 1500m in 4.15.46 at the European Youth Olympics. She also took the Silver medal in the 800m at the World Youth Championships in Sudtirol, Italy running 2.03.07, a new Junior Irish record.

The first event of the day one saw three Olympians, Robert Heffernan (Togher AC), Colin Griffin (Balinamore AC) and Jamie Costin (West Waterford AC) line up in the Men’s 5km Walk. Heffernan took the lead from the gun to win in 19.24.64 minutes. The Cork man was pleased with his performance having completed over 180km in training this week. Colin Griffin (Balinamore AC) placed second in 19.47.34 minutes. Jamie Costin (West Waterford AC) who plans to move down from 50km to 20km walk this year, placed third in an indoor personal best of 19.48.73 minutes.

The Women’s 3k Walk was won by Zuzana Malikova, a member of West Waterford AC. The Slovakian International set a personal best of 12.36.43 minutes and a world lead time. Reigning champion, Laura Reynolds, Mohill AC finished second in a personal best of 13.09.99 minutes. Kate Veale of Waterford AC placed third in a time of 13.18.44 minutes just outside her Junior Irish record of 13.18.20 minutes.

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