Irish duo facing an arduous challenge

Athletics Irish round-upAlistair Cragg is facing the world-record holder. Mark Carroll has got the world champion. They've both got five sub-13-minute men and they both need to finish in the top five to be certain of qualifying. That's the task handed to the Irish pair in this evening's semi-finals of the men's 5,000 metres.

Still think making a final is nothing to celebrate?

But they're also both ready. Cragg - the 24-year-old born in South Africa, running his first major athletics championships for his new homeland, his personal best of 13:12.74 minted just a month ago, and now firmly focused on making the final.

Carroll - the 32 year-old from Cork burning to make up for the disappointment of being a non-finalist in Sydney, his Irish record of 13:03.93 now six years old and yet still a relevant marker of his potential.

First into the Olympic Stadium is Cragg, his semi-final set for 5.50 p.m. Irish time. For company he'll have Kenenisa Bekele, the world-record holder now intent on adding the 5,000-metre prize to the 10,000-metre gold medal he secured last Friday night. The 22-year-old Ethiopian is guaranteed to qualify.

So too is Hicham El Guerrouj - provided he shows after last night's 1,500-metre final. After that though it's a little less predictable. Australia's Craig Mottram, his 12:55.76 in London last month making him only the third non-African to run under 13 minutes, is one of a half dozen more thinking of the final and nothing less.

So it is the biggest race of Cragg's short career on the world stage, one he'll want to definitely learn from. That will mean making sure he's in the mix. He finalised his preparations back at his American base in Arkansas with his Mayo-born coach, John McDonnell, and arrived last Tuesday in buoyant mood, senses heightened by anticipation.

He's also been training this past week with Carroll. The Corkman will have the experience to know Olympic 5,000-metre semi-finals can be ruthless. He ran well in Sydney but was still one slot short of a place in the final.

Clearly, Carroll will have to run close to his best to get through here (heat two is scheduled for 6.10 Irish time). His season's best is only 13:18.75, but he's been carefully peaking for these Games - his final preparations were made in Salzburg - and his confidence is at the level it needs to be.

Kenya's world champion Eliud Kipchoge is the fastest man in the field, with his 12:46.53. Overall, Carroll's race is marginally less crowded with talent than the first semi-final - and he'll also have the advantage of knowing the sort of time needed to qualify as one of the five fastest losers. Saturday's final allows for just 15 runners and an Irish vest would be honoured to be among them.

Both Cragg and Carroll will at least be hoping they don't go the way of Paul Brizzel. Yesterday morning he arrived home sixth in heat one of the 200 metres - his time of 21.0 a little short of qualification, but a long way off his best, 20.54.

Stephane Buckland of Mauritius took the win in 20.29.

Running in lane one didn't help the tall Ballymena athlete, but really he was never in contention for the top-four finish needed to progress. It was a marginal improvement on his season's best of 21.03 but in truth reflected his poor form of the summer.

He came through the mixed zone with his hands up looking for drink, swept by and was never seen again. Another Irish Olympian gone without much of a fuss. And then there were three.