Cragg a surprise inclusion on Irish team

ATHLETICS/European Cross Country Championships:ALISTAIR CRAGG is the surprise inclusion on the Irish team for the European Cross Country Championships, which take place in Dublin in just two and a half weeks time.

Cragg hasn’t raced since the World Championships in Berlin in August, where he was unable to make the final of the 5,000 metres, and hasn’t shown any consistent cross country form in about five years, when he finished 16th at the 2004 World Cross Country in Brussels.

However, the US-based Cragg had expressed his availability and desire to compete in the event, which is being staged on Irish soil for the first time, at the Santry Demesne, on December 13th.

He still needs to prove his fitness, and will run a 5km road race in California in the US tomorrow but in the meantime Irish team manager Anne Keenan-Buckley has left a place open for him on the senior men’s team.

Provided he runs well tomorrow, therefore, Cragg will be included, but it remains to be seen if he can justify that faith come December 13th. He’s talented enough to provide a huge addition to the Irish chances of success, and did finish in eighth place in his European Cross Country debut, in Croatia, back in 2002, but has also proven somewhat fickle on the country, and dropped out of the World Cross Country in Edinburgh as recently as 2008.

The first reserve, meanwhile, is Mick Clohisey of Raheny Shamrocks, who finished fourth in the Intercounties Championships in Kilbeggan on Sunday, which in most other circumstances would have been enough to secure his selection. If Cragg doesn’t run well tomorrow, Clohisey will be called on, with Keenan-Buckley promising a final decision by Friday.

Two other senior men’s places go to athletes that didn’t compete on Sunday. Martin Fagan, as expected, is selected on the basis of recent road running form and is continuing his preparations for Dublin at his high-altitude training base in Flagstaff, Arizona, while Mullingar’s Mark Christie, who missed Sunday’s trial through illness, is also given the nod. The remaining three places were secured by the first three finishers in Kilbeggan; Andrew Ledwith (Fr Murphy’s AC), Sean Connolly (Tallaght AC) and Mark Kenneally (Clonliffe Harriers AC).

The senior women’s team will be led by Sligo’s Mary Cullen, who looked impressive in winning in Kilbeggan and looks poised to challenge for individual honours. She’s joined by the next two home from last Sunday, Deirdre Byrne and Linda Byrne, and also Fionnuala Britton, Ava Hutchinson and Orla O’Mahony.

The main absentee is Waterford’s David McCarthy, who had big ambitions to challenge for honours in the men’s under-23 race, but has been struggling with form lately due to illness – and could only manage 70th place at the American collegiate cross country championships last Monday.

“Aside from David McCarthy we have pretty much the team we wanted,” said Keenan-Buckley.

Senior men: A Ledwith (Fr Murphy’s AC); S Connolly (Tallaght AC); M Kenneally (Clonliffe Harriers AC); M Fagan (Mullingar Harriers AC); M Christie (Mullingar Harriers AC); A Cragg (Clonliffe Harriers AC).

Reserves: M Clohisey (Raheny Shamrock’s AC), D Kelly (North Sligo AC).

Senior women: M Cullen (North Sligo AC); D Byrne (Sli Cualann AC); L Byrne (Dundrum South Dublin AC); F Britton (Sli Cualann AC); A Hutchinson (Dundrum South Dublin AC); O O’Mahony (Raheny Shamrock’s AC). Reserves: R Ryan (Bilbao AC), C Durkan (Skerries AC).