Cragg building towards Gothenburg

Athletics: Given he hadn't raced on an outdoor track in almost two years, Alistair Cragg was well satisfied with his second place finish over two miles at the Carson Track Classic in California at the weekend.

With a back injury forcing him to miss all of last summer, Cragg's last appearance outdoors was shortly after the 2004 Athens Olympics.

His time of eight minutes 23.75 seconds also suggests things are well on target for his main goal of the summer - the European championships in Gothenburg in August. Cragg lost out to Ethiopia's Markos Geneti in the final sprint, who took the win in 8:19.61, but he still had some quality runners behind him, including America's two-mile record holder Alan Webb, who was sixth in 8:33.92.

"Alistair was very pleased with that run," explained his coach, John McDonnell. "He'd actually had a few minor health problems over the last couple weeks, but he told me that was the best he felt in a long while. He hasn't really done too many speed sessions yet, but that's because the only race that matters for him this summer is the European championships. That's the one race he wants to do very well in."

Cragg, however, has put two excellent indoor seasons together since Athens, winning European gold over 3,000 metres in 2005 and finishing fourth in the World Indoors last March.

His next outing is set to be over 5,000 metres at the New York meeting in Randall's Island on June 3rd, where he should comfortably achieve the European standard of 13:42.0. He is also a confirmed starter at the Cork City Sports on July 1st.

Bahrain's Rashid Ramzi shattered Sebastian Coe's American 1,500 metres all-comers' record at the Carson meeting.

The 25-year-old Moroccan-born star, winner of last summer's world 800m and 1,500m gold medals, clocked three minutes 32.24 seconds.

His fierce, last-lap battle with Olympic silver-medallist Bernard Lagat saw him lower the mark set by Coe in winning his second Olympic title in Los Angeles 22 years ago.

Lagat, now a US citizen after representing Kenya, finished in a time of 3:32.94, the fastest by an American this year.

Also opening the outdoor season in fine form was Karen Shinkins, who finished third over 400 metres at the Brazil Grand Prix meeting in Belem. Shinkins clocked a satisfying 51.93 seconds behind Senegal's Any Thiam (50.86) and, like Cragg, is building towards Gothenburg.

Closer to home, Aoife Byrne ran 4:17.11 at the Loughborough International meeting in England and is closing in on the 4:13.0 qualifying time necessary to get her to Gothenburg, while Michelle Carey, who already has the qualifying time over the 400 metre hurdles, ran 58.81.