Cragg to focus on short course

Athletics News: Alistair Cragg has narrowed his focus ahead of the World Cross Country in an effort to strengthen his chances of winning a second major championship within a fortnight.

He announced yesterday he would only run the short course race in France on March 19th, and has abandoned plans to come back a day later for the long course race.

With his confidence and form still on a high after winning his European Indoor 3,000 metres title on Saturday, Cragg left Madrid yesterday for the long-haul flight to Chicago, and from there transferred down to his home from home in Fayettville, Arkansas.

The decision to run only the 4km race was made after consultation with his coach, John McDonnell, and it should prove a smart one. It was felt he didn't quite have the strength yet to challenge in the 12km race, and another long journey back to Europe was another factor. But the bottom line was they both felt there is a medal in the short course if he really wants it.

"The flying does take a lot out of you," he admitted yesterday morning, while also complaining of a minor head cold after the exertions of the weekend in Madrid. He also suffers from hay fever and something inside the arena clearly triggered that off. Some people thought he was actually crying on the medal podium on Sunday with pride, when in fact that was mostly the result of his medication.

"So it's just about recovery from here," he added.

"But I still feel I can go and tackle the guys on the rough terrain. The World Championships in Helsinki is still the big focus this year, and the World Cross is still really just a stop-off. If I can carry on improving like I have since November, I think everything will click together like it should by the summer. Still, I feel my body is ready for a good cross country race.

"But I really enjoyed the weekend. Mark Carroll had told me it was one of his highlights, and that's what I was thinking. Something to look back on. Hopefully the first of many good runs in the Irish colours, but I will always remember this."

As well as benefiting from the indoor track speed in his legs, it emerged yesterday that the World Cross Country course in France should be perfectly suited to his track specialities. Situated between St Etienne and St Galmier on the eastern border, the flat racecourse includes a few man-made obstacles, but other than that should be dry, fast and effectively a track race on grass. Not exactly traditional cross country terrain.

What is certain to affect his medal chances are the names of the athletes that line up beside him. Ethiopia's Kenenisa Bekele, who has won both short and long course titles for the past three years, has again entered both races, but is reportedly intent on running only the short course.

His difficulties over the past two months, including the sudden death of his fiancee, have limited his training, and, like Cragg, he currently seems better suited to the short course.

The Kenyans are also certain to have their say, most likely in Isaac Songok, as Eliud Kipchoge, the World 5,000 metres champion, is doing the long course.

Cragg agreed the man to beat could be Saif Saaeed Shaheen of Qatar, the former Kenyan steeplechase artist known as Stephen Cherono.

For David Gillick, Ireland's other new European indoor champion, the journey home to Dublin last night was much less arduous. His focus is now on achieving the 400-metre A-standard of 45.55 seconds needed to get to Helsinki, and that means improving his outdoor best 46.29.

That, he feels, will come, but at 21 he can also looked forward to a European under-23 championship, set for Germany next July.

"Yeah, I know I can go there now and grab gold. But I believe the 45.55 is definitely possible. Of course it's not easy. But I'm just going to keep on doing what I'm doing.

"I know the weights this year have really helped improve my form and that will only start to really kick in outdoors."

But he has other concerns now as European champion. He wants to get an agent to start looking after his racing schedule, and might consider a warm weather training trip before the summer - which would offer at least temporary respite from the cold nights on the track in UCD.

"It toughens you up, yeah, because you can get into the comfort zone. I wouldn't say a bad thing about the indoor track we have in Nenagh, but it was never developed over the years. And really, I don't know if training in poor facilities could actually make you a better runner."

Gillick will also get news later this week of his high performance grant from the Irish Sports Council, which last year totalled €4,600. Even in these days of grant cutbacks he is certain of a hefty raise.