ATHLETICS icon Derval O’Rourke is set to receive a hall of fame honour.
The Cork-born hurdler, who is one of Ireland’s most decorated athletes, will be presented with the Hall of Fame Award at this year’s 123.ieNational Athletics Awards.
Having burst onto the international stage in 2003, the athlete went on to break the 13 second mark for the first time with a 12.96 in the 100m hurdles to finish fourth at the European U23 Athletics Championships in Poland.
Derval O’Rourke celebrates winning the Silver Medal in the Women’s 100m Hurdles Final at the 2006 SPAR European Athletics Championships in Gothenburg, Sweden. (Pic: Brendan Moran/ SPORTSFILE)That performance set a new national record but also secured O’Rourke the ‘A standard’ qualification for the 2004 Olympic Games.
O’Rourke represented Ireland at three Olympic Games and in 2006 she claimed World Indoor gold in the 60m hurdles, cementing her status as one of Ireland’s most decorated athletes.
“Renowned for her mental resilience and fierce competitive spirit, O’Rourke went on to win two European silver medals in the 100m hurdles (2006 and 2010), along with bronze medals at the European Indoor Championships in 2009 and 2013 over the 60m hurdles,” a spokesperson for Athletics Ireland, who confirmed Hall of Fame award this week, said.
Derval O’Rourke, right, alongside Virginia Powell of the USA, on her way to finishing 4th in the Women’s 100m Hurdles Final in a National Record time of 12.67 seconds at the 2009 IAAF World Championships in Berlin“Arguably her finest performance came at the 2009 World Championships in Berlin, where she finished fourth in the final, setting a new Irish record of 12.67 seconds,” they added.
“She would go on to better that time in 2010, running 12.65 seconds en route to her silver medal at the European Championships in Barcelona.”
O’Rourke retired in June 2014 aged 33.
Speaking at the time she admitted it had been a “tough decision”, adding that it felt like “the right time”.
“I knew I could compete this season, but not in a time to be in medal contention by European Outdoors. Going to a Championships just to be there, isn’t me,” she added.
O’Rourke will receive her award on November 26 when Ireland’s National Athletics Awards are held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Santry.