Costello claims national indoor 1500m title in Belfast P85 FORMER Drogheda Independent Sport Star of the Year Colin Costello made a dramatic return to top form last weekend when he claimed the 1500m title at the Woodies DIY All-Ireland Indoor Track and Field Championships in Belfast's Odyssesy Arena.

And there was success too for the Dunleer, St Peter's, Boyne and Drogheda clubs at the prestigious national event.

It has been a long journey for the 23-year-old Gormanston man to rediscover the form that led him to the European Junior title nearly five years ago. Beset by niggling injuries since he came home from a scholarship in the United States, he was finding it hard to get in the training necessary to make it back to topflight athletics.

But now back with coach Robert Denmead, all seems to be falling into place for the Star of the Sea clubman. The appetite is back, training times are good and the weekend's win will give an added boost to his confidence.

On Saturday evening Costello came through the first of the two heats very comfortably in the third automatic qualifying place, making sure to do just enough to get himself through without expending too much energy.

Costello came to this championship after putting in some very good training sessions, and while the crowd's expectation of his performance was more the hope that he might run well, those close to him knew that he was capable of lifting a medal.

While slightly nervous that morning in this, his first big final in a number of years, Costello looked totally focused and composed as the athletes were called to the line by the starter. From the gun the race was very tight and tactical for the first 800m, with the athletes completing the first four laps of the 200m circuit in 2min 10sec.

The pace started to quicken, but there was no panic on the face of Costello, and on the penultimate lap he moved out to lane two in readiness to launch his attack.

Approaching the bell Conor Healy (Clonliffe) took on the pace and eked out a lead of three metres going round the second last bend, but the experienced Costello had the break covered and with consummate ease took the lead half-way down the back straight.

Holding his form on the last bend he had enough of a lead to be able to relish his victory as he approached the finish line. There is no doubt that the Star of the Sea man is back and means business.

With one gold now in the bag the Star of the Sea supporters present were wondering if Kourosh Foroughi could also add gold in the high jump.

Foroughi, who a fortnight ago had cleared 2.15m in the AAI Games in Nenagh, came into the competition as favourite. A slight knee injury while doing the Leinster Senior long jump the previous week was not ideal preparation, especially given the opposition which included ex Olympian and 2.30m man Adrian O'Dwyer (Kilkenny City Harriers).

Drogheda-based Foroughi opened at 1.80m, which he cleared, but he followed it with one foul at 1.90m. While he cleared 1.95m he had a further foul at 2.00m.

His rivals weren't firing on all cylinders either, and so when Foroughi cleared 2.05 on his first attempt he was in the lead, but it took three attempts to clear 2.10m and he eventually had to settle for bronze, having achieved the same height as O'Dwyer but unable to match Barry Pender's 2.15m.

Dunleer's success came in the shot put where veteran Geraldine Finegan was placed an excellent third, although her club colleague Mickey Linden could produce his best owing to illness, while Boyne's Amy McTeggart won bronze in the Under-15 high jump.

Drogheda and District's Robert Maher, who is preparing for the English Masters Indoor Championships, ran well in the Senior 800m heats, clocking 2:07, while Michael Maher ran 2:25 in another of the heats over the same distance.

Elsewhere, Dunleer athlete Tomás Cotter opened his indoor college season with Iowa State in the USA by finishing fourth in a regional 3,000m race, clocking 8:56.89. He also won the Indoor Mile in 4:17.19 at the Jack Jennett Invitational race at the university.

•Dunleer AC will host the launch of the 2010 Coca-Cola Rás na hEireann will take place at Oldbridge House next Monday at 7pm.

- Marcus CAVAROLI