ATHLETICS/World Indoor Championships: The absence of Sonia O'Sullivan from major championships is something Irish athletics will soon have to get used to and in Birmingham this weekend all the attention falls on those hoping to fill her shoes, writes Ian O'Riordan in Birmingham.
But in a total break from tradition those hopes lie mostly in the sprint events.
In status terms the World Indoor Championships will never rival the more glamorous outdoor version, yet on competitive terms there isn't a whole lot of difference. With the programme squeezed into three days - and fewer lanes to fill as well - reaching the finals is probably as hard a target. And in truth that's the aim of all the Irish here.
With 11 entrants the Irish team has its widest range of interest of the nine previous editions of these championships. There were two late withdrawals, with Mark Howard forced to abandon his 60 metres place earlier this week through injury, as did Daniel Tobin from the 400 metres relay, which makes its first appearance on the World Indoor stage.
It is, however, unlikely to be the most successful Irish team. That honour is sure to remain with the four Irish participants at the inaugural World Indoors in Indianapolis in 1987, where three of them brought home medals - an even more remarkable feat since the 1,500 metres favourite Eamonn Coghlan fell. Marcus O'Sullivan took the gold in his absence, while Frank O'Mara won gold over 3,000 metres, with Paul Donovan taking silver.
O'Mara and O'Sullivan won further titles (in O'Sullivan's case three) but the silver medal over 3,000 metres for Sonia O'Sullivan at the 1997 championships in Paris was the last Irish medal. Two years ago in Lisbon she was in shape to at least repeat that feat but instead attempted a 1,500-3,000 metres double and came away with nothing.
So to Birmingham, where the organisers are billing this weekend as the most significant athletics event to take place in Britain since the 1948 Olympics - probably true at least from a participation point of view, with 140 countries, around 500 athletes, and $3 million in prize money. And all 15,000 spectators' tickets were sold out weeks ago.
The hosts do have some high hopes for gold. Daniel Caines, their only reigning World Indoor champion, is in form to defend his 400 metres title although Colin Jackson will be hard pushed by the Americans to take gold over the 60 metres hurdles in what will be his last international appearance.
The great Ethiopian, Haile Gebrselassie, is also well known around here having broke the world two-mile record on the same track last month, and competes over 3,000 metres.
All but three of the Irish team are in action today, starting with Ciara Sheehy's 200 metres heat. Sheehy is one of the genuine contenders for a place in the final, and will at least be looking towards the semi-finals this evening.
Gary Ryan and Paul Brizzel follow straight afterwards in the men's 200 metres. Ryan continues to hold his old spark at the age of 30, and has lowered the Irish record to 20.99 seconds this season. Brizzel, however, improved that two weeks ago to 20.75 and is perhaps the more capable of progressing.
This indoor season has been deliberately low-key for Karen Shinkins, the European bronze medallist over 400 metres in Vienna a year ago. She's raced only twice so far, and has decided to build more steadily towards the outdoor season at her US base in Athens, Georgia.
"These championships are totally different for me in that I really don't know how sharp I am," she said yesterday. "But now that I'm here I'm looking forward to it."
The men's 400 metres record-holder, Paul McKee, ranked 25th in the world, is also building for outdoors but is equally capable of progressing to the semi-finals. David McCarthy (19) is progressing so fast he is capable of anything.
With Maria Lynch deciding to concentrate on tomorrow's 1,500 metres heats, Maria McCambridge is the sole interest in the 3,000 metres heats. James Nolan is also on the track for his 1,500 metres heats and having wintered well in South Africa he appeared yesterday in confident form.
