The Score uses cookies. By continuing to browse this site you are agreeing to our use of cookies. Click here to find out more »
Dublin: 8 °C Thursday 23 May, 2013

I can’t see myself going to Rio, says disappointed Derval O’Rourke

The Irish athlete admitted the “middle hurles weren’t good enough” in her performance this evening.

Ireland's Derval O'Rourke after fininshing in 5th place in the Women's 100m Hurdles Semi-Final.
Ireland's Derval O'Rourke after fininshing in 5th place in the Women's 100m Hurdles Semi-Final.

A DISAPPOINTED DERVAL O’Rourke has spoken of her disappointment after failing to qualify for the 100m Hurdles Final this evening.

The athlete suggested she won’t be competing in the Olympics in four years time, and was consequently unhappy not to end on a high note this evening.

“I can’t see myself going to Rio,” she told TheScore.ie’s Will Downing. “So that’s why I would have liked to have finished the Olympics on a PB, because it’s the only Championship that I haven’t PB’d or gotten a national record at.

“I think 12.71 made it in – I think I’m good enough to run that, but I didn’t,” she added.

Despite starting the race well, O’Rourke acknowledged that she could not maintain this momentum throughout the 100 metres.

“The middle hurles weren’t good enough. I needed to be stronger in the middle and I wasn’t. That’s all really, it’s not more dramatic than that.”

Yet despite this disappointment, O’Rourke was not too downhearted after matching her season’s best time.

“I still think it’s two season’s bests in two days. I couldn’t run below 13 three weeks ago, so I have to be satisfied, but it would have been a nice fairytale ending to be in the Final. I feel like it’s the only Championship I had a little bit of unfinished business with, but I still think I represented myself relatively well.”

O’Rourke now turns her attention to the European Indoor Championships, and she joked: “I wish it was on tomorrow.”

Read: LIVE: London 2012 Olympics, day 11>

Read: Ryan Lochte got these gold-plated, diamond-encrusted razors for winning five Olympic medals>

Read next:

Comments (10 Comments)

  • Hard luck. She’s represented the country really well over the last few years and you have to respect the work that she must’ve put in to get to get to the Olympics. Fair play to her.

    Reply
  • I thank her for trying her best and not taking drugs. O Connor was there representing Ireland and Dopping his horses at least she was honest. Well done.

    Reply
    • O my bloody god go get your facts right, oconner gave his horse medication for an injury months before the Olympics by rights the drug should have been out of the horses system, he did not drug the horse with the intent to cheat, for the live of god please stop calling him a cheat he is not a bloody cheat

      Reply
    • If The horse Waterford Crystal wasn’t cheating then why did someone decide it necessary to break in to a laboratory and steal the horses blood samples ?

      Also amazing that they knew where to go given that the place had thousands of blood samples….

      Dark forces were at play thinking they could hide their mess but the reality is that Irelands name suffered as a result. The Michelle Smith case isn’t quite as clearcut but the Cian O’Connor one is damning to say the least

      Reply
  • Fair play – even getting to the Olympics is an achievement!

    Reply
    • If the race was 20 metere , she’d have a gold medal , its that middle bit…………….. In fairness she has had a great career , a world indoor Champion in the past to her enourmous credit but to even to consider RIO is rediculous , time for some new blood. If medals are what matter then we have to rethink our strategy . Simple fact is we dont seem to have the genetic profile, money or population to compete seriously in any track events in the modern era. The british made point of focusing on a couple of sports which in globall terms have very low participation rates like track cycling , i would say far more countries dont have Velodromes than have, it look like only few countires take it seriously , the Aussies , French ,Ukraine but the GB have manged to take a hat full of golds from it

      Reply
  • At least she looked like she really tried and for that I applaud her.For those who say sport is about taking part get a life it’s all about winning,don’t bring up the small country thing how big is Jamaica?we want more like Katie Taylor only Gold is good enough.

    Reply
  • KM 07/08/12 #

    It’s the taking part that counts,,,,,, now where’s the bar.

    Reply
  • I don’t think so…

    Reply
  • Maybe she wants to go to the footie world cup to cheer on Ireland?

    Reply

Add New Comment