Thursday 24 January 2008
Ireland’s Derval O’Rourke caused one of the shocks of the 2006 World Indoor Championships when taking the women’s 60m Hurdles gold, and despite a minor injury which keeps her out of this weekend’s national championships she has not ruled out a successful defence of her title in Valencia this March after making a winter coaching switch.
The 26-year-old pipped a world-class field in Moscow, which included the likes of Glory Alozie of Spain and Sweden’s Susanna Kallur, to take first place in a new national record of 12.72 and followed this up by winning a 100m Hurdles silver medal at the outdoor European Championships in Gothenburg later that year.
Alozie, Derval O’Rourke, and Kallur in Moscow
(Getty Images)
However, after the success of 2006, last year proved one of frustration as she was hampered by a stress fracture of the back and failed to match her performances of the previous season.
So how does the Irishwoman assess 2007?
“If I’m honest, the answer is disappointing because I was injured,” she explained. “I thought the outdoor season would benefit me but I have to look at the positives and considering the back injury to run (a season’s best) 12.88 and reach the semi-finals of the World Championships, I would have killed for that in the past.”
Derval O’Rourke celebrates World Indoor gold
(Getty Images)
Technically and mentally improved
However, in her drive for excellence the Dublin-based O’Rourke has made changes. She amicably parted company with long-time coach Jim Kilty, who she described as “brilliant for me at the time,” to exclusively work with Sean Cahill, whom she had been working with alongside Kilty since the winter of 2005.
Cahill, a former sprint hurdler who represented Ireland at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games, has helped transformed O’Rourke technically and the Irishwoman enthused: “I knew technically I wasn’t right and he has made a massive difference. In simple terms I used to straighten my leg over the hurdle, which I know doesn’t sound much but he’s changed that. I also used to sit a lot when I was running but he has made me run on the balls of my feet.”
“Technically I’ve improved and mentally, I’ve gone from thinking, I’m a lane filler to thinking, when I get it right I can be in contention. Sean Cahill has been a major benefit in my corner.”
Besides the technical advancement the Cork-born athlete also believes she has made significant progress in her strength this winter and is regularly lifting personal bests in the gym.
O’Sullivan an idol
Meanwhile, O’Rourke also revealed she is regularly tapping into the advice and expertise of former Olympic 5000m silver medallist and fellow Irishwoman Sonia O’Sullivan –an athlete O’Rourke idolised as a youngster.
“Sonia to me was an absolute superstar and I was one of the kids who used to follow her around for her autograph,” she explained.
“If I have a question I need answering I email Sonia. She offers really good advice. I have asked her opinion about nutrition and she got me some names of some nutritionists. She will always do something to help.”
Minor injury so will miss Irish indoor champs
In what has proved an otherwise perfect winter for O’Rourke suffered a minor jolt earlier this month when a bruised bone in her foot caused her to abandon plans for start her indoor campaign at the Irish Championships in Belfast this weekend (Jan 26-27).
However, she is confident the problem will not sideline her for long and she is relishing the prospect of returning to competition shortly.
“It is really important for me as I’m not the type of athlete who adores training,” she said of the indoor season and defending her IAAF World Indoor title. “I love to race and I love indoors with the intimate atmosphere.”
Huge task but still an open race
O’Rourke, however, accepts the size of the task which she faces her in Valencia. The race could be one of the more wide open on the programme, and she offers a realistic take on her chances.
“I think I’m probably the same odds as I was in Moscow,” she explained. “I’ve got to come out and run as fast as I can, and if that means I win, superb. The 60m hurdles is never going to be won by a tenth of a second and with a personal best of 7.84 I’ve got a shot at it.”
The courteous and polite O’Rourke admits she has respect for all her rivals but said at this stage it was difficult to predict which US athletes she was likely to face until after their national trials. She earmarked World Championships 100m hurdles silver and bronze medallists Perdita Felicien of Canada and Jamaica’s Delloreen Ennis-London as well as Kallur, the European 100m hurdles champion, as potential rivals in Valencia but emphasised they were a host more potential medallists which all added to the attractiveness of the event.
“I don’t think you can predict who is going to win,” admitted O’Rourke. “You can get anyone, even a random Irishwoman winning so it is a really exciting event.”
Steve Landells for the IAAF