Derval O'Rourke charged €10 to train at ALSAA

thirtyfoot

No doubt there is some harsh comment on her personality by people here presuming they know her based on some sound bites or quotes in papers or the odd interview. This is being blown up and was a casual comment at a press conference. It obviously interested the press as so many of them went with it. I'd imagine the majority of those having a pop have never met.

To say she is arrogant or has an ego is unfair in my opinion. She does lots of stuff where she puts herself in situations exactly so people don't know who she is. She has always got a slagging, don't know why that is. She has a great personality and is tv friendly (much more that the wet fish [personality wise on TV] boxer previously mentioned) and maybe people (or women) being confident and out there doesn't sit comfortable with some people. Anyway, much ado about nothing, bit of craic, happens to us all (getting kicked off a track) yet we don't get the chance to tell the press. I found the story funny and would have enjoyed to see it unfold.

PS: When training, it can be very annoying to be asked to finish a session, I think every athlete will atest to that. The best athletes are selfish, self-centred b**tards when training.

thirtyfoot

By the way this is what she was promoting when she made her €10 comment.

Good chance to get an official time for a 100m (and maybe run in the Olympic stadium).

http://poweradeie.zonedemos.com/onyourmarks/

Pisco Sour

InsaneBolt wrote: »

Her profile is higher for the wrong reasons. She'd be better off keeping her mouth shut and coming down to earth a bit. After all, she's on €40k ISC grant for past three years without achieving the criteria, plus sponsors fees and the PR she gets for Poweraid is about a €10 fee to use the track. She handled it badly and media jumped on it. Next year she'll be forgotten and Katie will rule supreme forever.

InsaneBolt wrote: »

Irrespective of Katie making the Olympics, she'll still rule supreme for a long time in the annals of Irish sport. D will probably realise after this year when her funding will cease, that the person doing his job is the very one contributing his taxes to pay towards her grant. Time to get off the high horse (hurdle).

Had gone through 60 odd posts and resisted the temptation to buy back in, until I saw this drivel. I just cant help myself so I'll bite!

I don't want to get into the whole putting down one sportsperson to make the other one look better and all that stuff, as I think Katie Taylor is great, and what she has done for womens boxing around the world is fantastic, but seriously these comparisons between Katie and Derval are a bit mad.

Athletics is the most fiercely competitive sport in the Olympics. It is a truly global sport, and while it may not be particularly big in Ireland, it has high profile worldwide in general. Look at the crowds Derval competes in front of in Paris, Athens, Helsinki, Gothenburg, Beijing, Berlin, Barcelona, Daegu. People like Allyson Felix, Sally Pearson, Yelena Isinbayeva are household names around Europe. On the contrary I bet you yourself couldn't even name another female boxer (excluding Ali's daughter!). To compare the success of a female boxer (who competes in a sport which is only growing and doesn't have much of a following) to a female athlete (who competes in the No.1 sport in the Olympics) is idiocy. Outside of Ireland, and the close friends and families of the other boxers, nobody gives a fupp about women's boxing. Look at the crowds Katie boxes in front of at World and European Championships. Even for the Olympics, it was piss easy to get tickets to her final (we got them months after the original ballot, for the cheapest possible price, 50 pounds) and we got tickets to her semi final through the ballot. I wouldn't be surprised if that majority of womens boxing Olympic tickets were bougt up by Irish people in the hope of seeing a gold medal. If she wasn't to qualify expect to see lots of empty seats in August. On the otherhand we couldn't get next, nigh, or near a ticket for the athletics.

Of course people know who Derval is. She's very well known in Ireland. She is young, successful, has a glowing personality. Most people I know (friends, aunties, cousins) dont care about athletics but would easily know who Derval is. The GAA had her running at their 125 anniversary thing. She's made lots of TV appearances etc. She is very much in the media, and for the right reasons. A world indoor gold, 2 european silvers, 4th in world outdoors and a european indoor bronze. She has achieved more than most current Irish sportspeople, and in a long established worldwide sport.

Not trying to diss Katie. She's brilliant. She's ace at what she does, and I really hope she brings back the gold in London. She deserves it. If it wasn't for her women's boxing wouldn't be in the Olympics. She's the Grete Waitz of her field). However people need to realise that world championship womens boxing gold does not = world championship athletics gold. The amount of people who claim her to be our greatest every female sports person is nuts. Remember Sonia O'Sullivan.

The person who said that DOR and KT's profiles in Ireland would be pretty similar is probably right with this one.

InsaneBolt wrote: »

Pressures in Olympic year coming to the fore! Wishing D well in London. Hope she gets out of the heats.

Nice to see Irish begrudgery alive and kicking. Good for you.

MrCreosote

04072511 wrote: »

Not trying to diss Katie. She's brilliant. She's ace at what she does, and I really hope she brings back the gold in London. She deserves it. If it wasn't for her women's boxing wouldn't be in the Olympics. She's the Grete Waitz of her field). However people need to realise that world championship womens boxing gold does not = world championship athletics gold. The amount of people who claim her to be our greatest every female sports person is nuts. Remember Sonia O'Sullivan.

QUOTE]

I agree with most of what you say, but I think you can compare the two gold medals, even if the sports are quite different. A gold is a gold is a gold. All the athlete can do is beat the competition in front of herself- if she wins she is the best, it's not her problem if the competition is good, bad or indifferent.

Pisco Sour

MrCreosote wrote: »

All the athlete can do is beat the competition in front of herself- if she wins she is the best, it's not her problem if the competition is good, bad or indifferent.

Yes agreed here, but people shouldn't be dissing Derval as a result and comparing her to Katie (who on earth brought up KT in the first place?). You can say that it's not Katie's fault that the standard in her event isn't high, but you could also say that it isn't Derval's fault that she has to compete against the best female athlete in the world at this moment!

And those calling her arrogant! Cop on! I dont know her at all, and haven't met her, with the exception of very briefly track side after her silver in Barca, and an interview over email, but from what others have told me she is a top girl. How many people here actually know this person whose character they are throwing through the mud?

T runner

04072511 wrote: »

Whatever about the 10 euro thing, but trying to kick one of our top athletes off an empty track and try not to let her run at all. How can that be defended? Typical sh1te that goes on in Ireland.

A simple case of someone doing their job properly. You cant vilify governments, banks, etc. for doing bad jobs and favouring elites and then chastise someone for doing the opposite and treating everyone equally (assuming he would have done so if he recognised her). Assuming the story is true and the quotes are accurate (this is the Indo remember so the chances of this are less than average) then Derval should probably not have brought this up.

And for god sakes leave poor Ireland out of it: she gets blamed for everything nowadays as far as i can see!

PaulieC

04072511 wrote: »

Yes agreed here, but people shouldn't be dissing Derval as a result and comparing her to Katie (who on earth brought up KT in the first place?). You can say that it's not Katie's fault that the standard in her event isn't high, but you could also say that it isn't Derval's fault that she has to compete against the best female athlete in the world at this moment!

And those calling her arrogant! Cop on! I dont know her at all, and haven't met her, with the exception of very briefly track side after her silver in Barca, and an interview over email, but from what others have told me she is a top girl. How many people here actually know this person whose character they are throwing through the mud?

So this thread has turned into a competition to see who is the most famousest ? How mature...

rovers_runner

http://www.irishtimes.com/sports/other/2012/0214/1224311777780.html

International Carding Scheme

Athletics Ireland

€40,000 – Podium: Olive Loughnane, Derval O'Rourke, Robert Heffernan, David Gillick

And she wouldn't pay 10 euro to use a private facility?
While potential champions are focusing in on London she is busy promoting sports drinks and arguing with security guards about handing over .00025% of the money she is given from the public purse.
She won't be there when the medals are being handed out that's for sure.

Murta

[QUOTE=rovers_runner;
And she wouldn't pay 10 euro to use a private facility?
[/QUOTE]

Incorrect. She did pay the 10 euro. It continues to amaze me how these types of threads very quickly disregard the facts.

nerraw1111

rovers_runner wrote: »

http://www.irishtimes.com/sports/other/2012/0214/1224311777780.html

International Carding Scheme

Athletics Ireland

€40,000 – Podium: Olive Loughnane, Derval O'Rourke, Robert Heffernan, David Gillick

And she wouldn't pay 10 euro to use a private facility?
While potential champions are focusing in on London she is busy promoting sports drinks and arguing with security guards about handing over .00025% of the money she is given from the public purse.
She won't be there when the medals are being handed out that's for sure.

Sweet jesus, has anyone actually read the story? She didn't refuse to pay €10. She wasn't allowed to use the track full stop. A manager then came out and said she could use it but she would have to pay €10. Which she did.

And then in the very same breath, you point out that potential champions are focusing on London. Well that's because they have a track to use.

Then you have a go saying she won't win a medal.

Bravo.

Ash.J.Williams

rovers_runner wrote: »

http://www.irishtimes.com/sports/other/2012/0214/1224311777780.html

International Carding Scheme

Athletics Ireland

€40,000 – Podium: Olive Loughnane, Derval O'Rourke, Robert Heffernan, David Gillick

And she wouldn't pay 10 euro to use a private facility?
While potential champions are focusing in on London she is busy promoting sports drinks and arguing with security guards about handing over .00025% of the money she is given from the public purse.
She won't be there when the medals are being handed out that's for sure.

I really think it was more innocent than that...she was in dublin ...wanted to train....the gate was locked...she hopped the fence.....so what

thirtyfoot

Can the barstoolers please make up their mind. When we call up to Joe Duffy, are we saying that Irish athletes are over funded or under funded? I am now confused. Does Derval O' Rourke get too much money or is she underfunded? Are we happy about facilities or are we not? Are we supportive of our athletes or are we not? Are we happy that athletics get media coverage (even if on on jovial matter as this) or is it bad?

Rovers Runner - are you questioning her focus, seriously? Brilliant! Probably the most focused, driven athlete we have had and who has maxed out her ability again and again at the highest stage possible and you question her focus. Also, on her promotional work, confused here too. You complain (I think) that she is getting a grant but also that she tries to add to that with endorsements. Make up your mind. In order to compete on world stage, do we want her to finance that through Govt support or private support or neither or both? Dude, my advice would be please focus on your own running career as opposed to commenting on something* which, alas, you know nothing about and if you in fact met would probably inspire you. Have you ever been asked to leave a track mid-session? I have and have got stroppy. I am calm and mild mannered. I have seen many athletes been asked to leave tracks, in most cases they will argue and try their best to stay there and finish the session. Its called been focused and driven and a requirement to finish a session at all costs. Question her willingness to have a rant etc but don't question her focus.

* Elite, high performance athletics and the preparation required.

rovers_runner

thirtyfoot wrote: »

Can the barstoolers please make up their mind. When we call up to Joe Duffy, are we saying that Irish athletes are over funded or under funded? I am now confused. Does Derval O' Rourke get too much money or is she underfunded? Are we happy about facilities or are we not? Are we supportive of our athletes or are we not? Are we happy that athletics get media coverage (even if on on jovial matter as this) or is it bad?

Rovers Runner - are you questioning her focus, seriously? Brilliant! Probably the most focused, driven athlete we have had and who has maxed out her ability again and again at the highest stage possible and you question her focus. Also, on her promotional work, confused here too. You complain (I think) that she is getting a grant but also that she tries to add to that with endorsements. Make up your mind. In order to compete on world stage, do we want her to finance that through Govt support or private support or neither or both? Dude, my advice would be please focus on your own running career as opposed to commenting on something* which, alas, you know nothing about and if you in fact met would probably inspire you. Have you ever been asked to leave a track mid-session? I have and have got stroppy. I am calm and mild mannered. I have seen many athletes been asked to leave tracks, in most cases they will argue and try their best to stay there and finish the session. Its called been focused and driven and a requirement to finish a session at all costs. Question her willingness to have a rant etc but don't question her focus.

* Elite, high performance athletics and the preparation required.

Regarding the grant/promo earnings:
Are you saying a professional athlete wouldn't know the difference between a public and private facility?
Does the sports council grant money not cover such unforeseen expenses?


Regarding focus:
Do we see any of the other olympic hopefuls in the news whinging about something so trivial?
Do serious athletes have to "jump the fence" in order to make a session, or would they not plan their schedule around their training and ensure access to a gym/track/pool etc. ?


nerraw1111, I didn't use the word refuse, I said wouldn't have paid, i.e. she took to the area and would have left without paying if she wasn't asked.

nerraw1111

rovers_runner wrote: »

Regarding the grant/promo earnings:
Are you saying a professional athlete wouldn't know the difference between a public and private facility?
Does the sports council grant money not cover such unforeseen expenses?


Regarding focus:
Do we see any of the other olympic hopefuls in the news whinging about something so trivial?
Do serious athletes have to "jump the fence" in order to make a session, or would they not plan their schedule around their training and ensure access to a gym/track/pool etc. ?


nerraw1111, I didn't use the word refuse, I said wouldn't have paid, i.e. she took to the area and would have left without paying if she wasn't asked.

All those questions you've asked are in the original article. Have you read it?


On another note, the Cork Indo's take on it. "Derval snubbed by Dubs."

http://corkindependent.com/stories/item/8482/2012-14/Derval-snubbed-by-Dubs

ThisRegard

The problem was there were no alternatives for her in that area, if she had just gone for a trot outside of the complex she risked encountering a couple of hills which would have messed her speed up altogether, slowing her right down for the olympics.

walshb

plodder wrote: »

I'd say they are quite comparable actually. O'Rourke might pip it because women's athletics is a much higher profile sport than women's boxing.

Purely on a name basis here in Ireland I think KT is more well known. She's been spoken about now consistently for the past couple of years, and the fact that we are hyping her as a solid favorite (which she is not) for gold, that adds to her being a bigger name here in Ireland.

As for the two sports and the two women. KT is simply world class. Best amateur boxer on earth in the female ranks. Derval too is a top class athlete. Just a notch or two behind the best of the best. And, yes, track and field for the women is more high profile. But, womens boxing now, and at the games will be very competitive. It is no longer an unknown sport, which is largely due to Katie Taylor. She has put the sport on the global map.

thirtyfoot

rovers_runner wrote: »

Regarding the grant/promo earnings:
Are you saying a professional athlete wouldn't know the difference between a public and private facility?
Does the sports council grant money not cover such unforeseen expenses?

They do know the difference. A grant will cover this. Thats not the issue though. Its the fact that in preparation for a major champs, eg, an Olympics, it would be good to have ease of use of such facilities. Would you agree we should make our training for our world class athletes as easy as possible? That way they will probably train more efficiently and maybe perform better and as a result you will probably get a better return on the tax you paid that made its way to her.

rovers_runner wrote: »

Regarding focus:
Do we see any of the other olympic hopefuls in the news whinging about something so trivial?
.

Sharon Hannan and Sally Pearson had issues with their track in the Gold Coast and passed public comment on it. Sally would be classified as an Olympic hopefull. The DOR comment was a passing comment in a relaxed interview and the press have given it legs. If it raises the question of ease of facilities, how bad.

rovers_runner wrote: »

Do serious athletes have to "jump the fence" in order to make a session, or would they not plan their schedule around their training and ensure access to a gym/track/pool etc. ?
.

Here is a question. If you were a serious athlete (I am not sure, maybe you are) and you were overseas and just arrived back in Dublin airport. Its late and you have had delays. You know your normal track is closed (ie Santry) do you:

a) use the other track ALSAA as you know how key it is to train and get this session in, ie, every session count and all that.
b) go home and don't train as you are concerned and embarrased that people you don't know and have no influence on your life might think you are unorganised.

Have you ever had to tweak a venue or time for training? Its called adaptability.

walshb

04072511 wrote: »

Yes agreed here, but people shouldn't be dissing Derval as a result and comparing her to Katie (who on earth brought up KT in the first place?)QUOTE]

I brought her up in response to posts wondering how well known she is. I agreed with some who said she wouldn't be all that well known, and used KT as someone in Ireland that as a female athlete would be more well known.

TheRoadRunner

nerraw1111 wrote: »

On another note, the Cork Indo's take on it. "Derval snubbed by Dubs."

http://corkindependent.com/stories/item/8482/2012-14/Derval-snubbed-by-Dubs

ha ha love it. Those Corks feckers know how to spin it.

walshb

TheRoadRunner wrote: »

ha ha love it. Those Corks feckers know how to spin it.

Why am I not surprised? Anyway, would love to hear the man's version of events, because Derval's version points to a rude and aggressive man.

walshb

ALSAA had they known eally could have gotten some good publicity out of this.

Had they welcomed Derval it would have been quite positive for them. "Our facilities are so good Derval O'Rourke comes to train."

plodder

TheRoadRunner wrote: »

ha ha love it. Those Corks feckers know how to spin it.

and with the reference to Roy K earlier and Saipan, they don't call them trouble-makersrebels for nothing :rolleyes:

On comparing KT with Derval, I'm genuinely surprised that people think KT is better known. Though, I think everyone (me included) is injecting a bit of subjectivity into it. For me women's boxing would never have the same status as women's athletics. I'd say also imho, there is less difference in status between men's and women's athletics, than for almost any other sport.

thirtyfoot

Lets start a campaign "Save Our Track". We could have a southside and northside version. Ian O' Riordan could write an article about the history of the track and how it has succumbed to the greasy fingers of the moneyman wishing to charge €10. Construct a metaphorical trench of security men in hi viz vests across the backstraight. Outline that there are now fewer and fewer tracks to train on for free in Dublin etc etc.

ceegee

While the whole things seems blown out of proportion, DOR was definitly in the wrong. How could a pro athlete, in an olympic year, not have every detail of their training planned out? Turning up unannounced and not having the decency to ask to use facilities is fcuking woefully rude. Do you think Rory Mc wanders into random private golf clubs and tees off without permission?? Or any football team hopping a fence into a 5 a side pitch ??

Professional athletes should act like pro's: plan your training in advance and get permission before using private property. Would she have been so blase about thungs if shed fcuked her ankle on a divot on the track?

Amateur hour antics like this do not an olympic medallist make

griffin100

This reminds me of a similar incident a few years ago when I was the 'security man.'

A long time ago when I was a postgrad I worked for UCD Services and one of the tasks we had was keeping people of the UCD Track who hadn't booked it's use (this was in the days before it's use became a free for all). One Saturday morning I had to ask a group of javelin throwers to vacate the infield as there were runners using the lanes and they hadn't booked it's use, chief among them an almighty arrogant pr1ck with a shaved head who shall remain nameless but I'm sure most of you will know of who I speak I was very polite but still I got dogs abuse of the group who were apparently the Irish 'team' and their coach. I got the 'do you not know who I am speech from the shaven headed thrower' (funny thing was I did know who he was). A few days later there was an article on the Evening Herald about the same d1ckhead javelin thrower and how he had to sneak into Belfield to train and about how he and the journalist had to keep one eye over their shoulders when doing the piece in case the heavy handed security appeared again and threw him of!!

dna_leri

ceegee wrote: »

While the whole things seems blown out of proportion, DOR was definitly in the wrong. How could a pro athlete, in an olympic year, not have every detail of their training planned out? Turning up unannounced and not having the decency to ask to use facilities is fcuking woefully rude. Do you think Rory Mc wanders into random private golf clubs and tees off without permission?? Or any football team hopping a fence into a 5 a side pitch ??

Professional athletes should act like pro's: plan your training in advance and get permission before using private property. Would she have been so blase about thungs if shed fcuked her ankle on a divot on the track?

Amateur hour antics like this do not an olympic medallist make

There was a divot on the track at ALSAA and DoR injured her ankle?
Now that is a story, how come the press have not reported this?
Is she going to sue them?

Oh, you mean she didn't, but she could have.
Or maybe its just a slow news day.

Find me a dedicated T&F athlete at any level who has not jumped the fence and I show you an oxymoron.

thirtyfoot

So Terry McHugh and Derval O' Rourke get stroppy when asked to stop training. Both are multiple national champs, Olympians, one in winter as well as summer, both focused, driven and inspiring athletes. Bit of a pattern developing here.

shels4ever

nerraw1111 wrote: »

All those questions you've asked are in the original article. Have you read it?


On another note, the Cork Indo's take on it. "Derval snubbed by Dubs."

http://corkindependent.com/stories/item/8482/2012-14/Derval-snubbed-by-Dubs

Well thats what she has to expect when she wants to represent Dublin in the olympics, cork should send their own team.

thirtyfoot

On the topic of track caretakers/security/managers versus athletes, I have had a fair few run ins down through the years. One time, the track manager would never turn on the lights for training, said it cost too much. The lights were brutal and an electrician amongst us costed that half the fee that only one of us would pay each night would cover the costs. Anyway, on nights when we needed some light so our coach could do technical work with us, we would climb out over a fence out onto the carpark of a locked section of the track, climb a pole and twist the light in the carpark so it would shed some light onto us so our coach would see us. When finished we would have to undo the handy work in case the manager (who was never there) copped it. We even asked him politely to turn on the lights and he politely said no. It seemed energy preservation was higher on the list than ensuring the track was used as its meant to be by athletes.

Occasionaly you will meet amazing track staff. The new Campus people in Santry are brilliant. A guy in Kilkenny the same, others I'm sure around the country. There are of course your jumped up lads who think its more important to flex some muscle (even politely) than accomodate those who the track was built for and its usually a balancing act to keep them onside. Its funny, I'd imagine non-athletes would never have assumed track staff diplomacy was such a key part to being an athlete, but there you go, it is.

Brianderunner

shels4ever wrote: »

Well thats what she has to expect when she wants to represent Dublin in the olympics, cork should send their own team.

Represent Dublin in the olympics???