Ciaran O’ Lionaird (Leevale AC) and Mark English (Letterkenny AC) made it a memorable night on the US indoor tracks with big wins last night in Boston and New York respectively.
O’ Lionaird won a top quality Mile race at the New Balance Boston Grand Prix in 3:56.01 minutes. He ran a tactically solid throughout and moved clear in the last 200m to win his first big mile race on the US indoor circuit. Taylor Milne of Canada was second while Britain’s World Champion Mo Farah was fourth after suffering a fall early in the race.
English from Letterkenny AC competed earlier in the day in the New Balance Invitational in New York over 800m and he dominated from the start to win in 1:49.49 minutes.
English is still a junior and is in the US as part of a DCU team who will be competing in the prestigious Millrose Games next week.

Tipperary’s Denis Lynch took fourth place on Contifex in a thrilling jump-off at the World Cup competition in Bordeaux.
The Tipperary native maintained his third place overall in the World Cup rankings, narrowing the gap with the leader.
Lynch, who will also strengthen his number two position in the Olympic rankings with the result, was one of ten through to the jump-off at the French five-star venue.
The competition was won by European gold medallist Kevin Staut on the grey mare Silvana.

The Irish Amateur Boxing Association have ratified their seven-man squad for the final Olympic qualifier for European male boxers in Trabzon, Turkey in April.
Paddy Barnes, Michael McDonagh, Ross Hickey, Adam Nolan, Joe Ward, Tommy McCarthy and Con Sheehan will line out for Ireland by the banks of the Black Sea.
All seven retained their titles at the National Elite Championships at Dublin’s National Stadium last Friday night.
Ward beat Ken Egan 29-10 and also scooped the boxer of the Championships award.
Michael Conlan, John Joe Nevin and Darren O’Neill, who also retained their Irish titles at the weekend, have already qualified for the Olympics.
The London-bound trio will take part in Ireland’s intensive preparations for the Turkish qualifiers.
The squad will begin an 8-day training camp in the Curragh on Thursday before heading to Germany for a second training camp and a final training camp in the Ukraine.
The Irish team will also compete in the Chemistry Cup Multi Nations which gloves off in Halle, Germany on 13 March.

The Elite Boxing Championships will take place later this evening at the National Stadium with 24 boxers in tonights showcase (RTE2 9.00pm).
Kenny Egan and Joe Ward will again meet each other in the light-heavyweight final.  The pair have drawn focus on that weight category because the bout involves a European Champion facing an Olympic silver medallist for an Irish title.
Tensions are high as it is Olympic year and the stak to claim a qualification opportunity for this year’s London olympic Games.
The Olympic qualification tournament will take place in Trabzon, Turkey 13-22 April.  There will be only 6 weeks left to get the team ready.
Paddy Barnes is also three rounds away from winning six titles in a row.
Best of luck to all Boxers
(Running order)
48Kg: (Light-flyweight): Lynne McEnery (St Pauls) v Oliwia Samsanov (Cavan)
49Kg: (Light-flyweight) Paddy Barnes (Holy Family) v Hugh Myres (Ryston)
56Kg: (Bantamweight) John Joe Nevin (Cavan) v Michael Nevin (Portlaoise)
57Kg: (Featherweight) Michaela Walsh (Holy Family) v Dervla Duffy (Ryston)
52Kg: (Flyweight) Michael Conlan (St John Bosco) v Chris Phelan (Ryston)
81Kg: (Light-heavyweight) Joe Ward (Moate) v Ken Egan (Neilstown)
60Kg: (Lightweight) Michael McDonagh (St Marys) v David Oliver Joyce (St Michaels Athy)
75Kg: (Middleweight) Darren O’Neill (Paulstown) beat Conor Coyle (St Josephs) W/O
69Kg: (Welterweight) Adam Nolan (Bray) v John Joe Joyce (St Michaels Athy)
64Kg: (Light-welterweight) Ross Hickey (Grangecon) v Stephen Coughlan (Bray)
91Kg: (Heavyweight) Tommy McCarthy (Oliver Plunkett) v Christy Joyce (St Michael’s Athy)
91+Kg: (Super-heavyweight) Con Sheehan (Clonmel) v Sean Turner (Drimnagh)

The 2012 Irish National Championships is set to take place in Dublin at Baldoyle Badminton Centre this weekend and once again it has attracted Ireland’s top talent. With Irish Olympic Hopeful’s Scott Evans, Chloe Magee and Sam Magee all in attendance it is set to be an exciting weekend for all badminton fans out there!

Men’s Singles: In the Men’s singles Scott Evan’s world number 65 is hot favourite to retain his National title on his quest for a 7th consecutive win at this event. Scott Burnside is seeded number two for this event and will lead the charge as the draw compete to challenge Evan’s Dominance. Tony Stephenson and Joshua Magee make up the rest of the seeding’s and will be the big contenders for the semi-final spots. Niall Tierney is another name to watch out for having won this year’s Ulster Open, with only four seeds Niall is not ranked in the draw so there is potential for an exciting quarter final match up for him with Scott Burnside.

In the Mixed Doubles world number 40 Sam and Chloe Magee are putting their Olympic campaign on hold as they try to take a 5th consecutive national title. The main contenders will be number 2 seeds Daniel Magee and Fiona Glennon and 3/4 seeds another brother and sister combination of Ciaran and Sinead Chambers. Stuart Lightbody and Caroline Black make up the other 3/4 spot and will hope to take a semi-final spot against one seeds Sam and Chloe. In the Bottom side of the draw Magee and Glennon and Sinead and Ciaran Chambers are favourite to meet to make up the other semi-final.

The nationals has always been one of the most exciting dates on the Irish calendar and with a strong field including all Olympic hopefuls at home to compete this weekend it will provide a great spectacle for any badminton spectators in attendance. With the cold snap here this event should provide some hot competition as the players go for the coveted prize of being crowned National Champion.

The OCI would like to wish all the Athletes the best of luck at these Championships.

Ireland’s Derval O’Rourke made an impressive start to her indoor season on Monday night at the Vienna Indoor Classic.
The Leevale AC star finished second to Yvette Lewis of the United States in the final of the 60 metres hurdles in 8.16 seconds.
The Cork athlete has already been preselected by Athletics Ireland to compete in the World Indoor Championships in Istanbul from 9-11 March.

Olympian Paul Hession, returning from a training camp in South Africa, kicked off his season in the 60m at the London Indoor Games. The Athenry sprinter clocked 6.95 at the London Indoor Games at Lee Valley.

Katie Taylor during her training camp in Georgia as part of the cooperation agreeement between the Olympic Council of Ireland and the Georgian Olympic Committee

 To mark six months until the start of London 2012, the Olympic Village has been handed over by the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) so officials can start the huge process of fitting-out the new apartments ready for the arrival of more than 10,000 athletes. 

The Village, which has been completed on time, will accommodate up to 16,000 athletes and officials for the Olympics, which are due to open on July 27.

Team Ireland chef de mission Sonia O’Sullivan and her HQ team will be in London in early March to agree Ireland’s accommodation allocation with LOCOG within the Olympic Village.

Besides installing the thousands of webs, the fit-out and overlay work now underway to get the Village ready for the Games includes 64,000 bed sheets and 21,000 pillows, 9,000 wardrobes and more than 170,000 coat hangers, 11,000 sofas, 5,000 bins and 5,000 toilet brushes and equipping each apartment with a television and wi-fi services

It will also be constructing the temporary 24-hour main dining facility with 5,000 seats, as well the Village Plaza Café and “Grab-and-go” carts with the Village set to provide the largest peacetime catering operation in the world with up to 60,000 meals served daily, including 25,000 loaves of bread, 232 tonnes of potatoes, 75,000 litres of milk and more than 330 tonnes of fruit and vegetables.

London 2012 also need to build the Olympic Village Plaza, the main social hub with essential shops and services for athletes and guests including a café, general store, bank, beauty & grooming salon, internet lounge, London 2012 shop and entertainment centre.

They will also be constructing the Welcome Centre, the initial arrival point for athletes and officials to be officially accredited for the London 2012 Games, and installing exercise equipment to create a state-of-the art athlete gym in Chobham Academy.

“Athletes are at the heart of the London 2012 Games and our plans for the Olympic Village will provide them with a home-from-home as they prepare for one of the biggest sporting moments of their lives,” said Sebastian Coe, the chairman of London 2012.

Irish women have beaten South Africa, in the first of two training matches in Johannesburg, as part of their warm-weather training in the build up to the FIH Olympic Qualifying Tournament.

The early moments of this game presented both sides with goal-scoring opportunities, but it was Ireland who had the first breakthrough when Cliodhna Sargent hammered home from a penalty corner to take the lead in the 18th minute.

The home side immediately countered, securing a penalty corner, and despite Pamela Smithwick saving Kim Hubach’s drag flick, she could do little to stop Jade Mayne’s rebound effort which levelled the sides.

Ireland’s defence got to show their composure, coping very well as the South African’s gained attacking momentum, but some great defensive play ensured the sides were 1-1 at the break.

Ireland were first out of the traps, mounting the first attack of the second half and putting the home side under some serious pressure with shots on goal and penalty corner routines in the early stages.

South Africa showed composure before finding a way through, forcing keeper Smithwick into action.

Ireland were forced to ten men with just seven minutes to go when Emma Smyth was shown yellow, but despite the pressure, Ireland showed flair and determination to create goal-scoring opportunities, which eventually paid dividends when a resulting penalty corner set up Sargent for her brace as she fired home her trademark shot, rattling the backboard with just two minutes left on the clock.

Commenting after the match, coach Gene Muller said: “This was a good start to our South African tour, we performed well and stuck to the task, especially in defence.

“We have had many close matches against South Africa in the past so this win was very satisfying for the team.”

Ireland starting XI: Pamela Smithwick (GK); Michelle Harvey; Cliodhna Sargent; Sinead McCarthy; Audrey O’Flynn; Emma Smyth; Emma Clarke; Shirley McCay; Lisa Jacob; Alex Speers; Sinead Connery

Reserves: Louisa Healy (GK); Miriam Crowley; Megan Frazer; Chloe Watkins; Lizzie Colvin

Ireland’s national champion Clara Peters once again showed her mettle in Sheffield this afternoon at the Europe an Figure Skating Championships 2012 during the ladies preliminary round and qualified to skate in the next stage of the event this Friday.

Peters was up against 22 other skaters from around Europe and she skated second in the draw. Normally, an early start is seen as a disadvantage, but the 20 year old Dubliner performed flawlessly to “Rhapsody On A Theme of Paganini” by Rachmaninoff. She included two double axel jumps with difficult spins and footwork among other elements to score 69.92 points which represents a new personal best and put her in eighth place. Only the top ten qualify to compete in the short programme which takes place on Friday afternoon.

Clara beams at the audience whilst performing for her place in the Short Programme on Friday

Clara Peters and her coach Ron Ludington await her scores in the “Kiss & Cry” yesterday