Irish set to break long tradition

ATHLETICS: This weekend Lausanne hosts the World Cross Country Championships with a grand historical backdrop.

It's now a century since the Scottish racecourse at Hamilton staged the first international cross country championships, and 30 years since the IAAF have run the event as the official world championships.

From an Irish point of view, however, the championships could be historic for totally different reasons. Leaving out the years 1933-37, when Irish athletics was in political turmoil, this is likely to be the first time in a century when we have no representation in the men's long race - still regarded as the true measure of cross country.

Six years ago, with the object of increasing participation, the IAAF introduced the 4km short-course race to complement the traditional 12km long-course race, thus spreading the event over two days. For several reasons Athletics Ireland this year decided to enter teams only in the short races, where last year in Leopardstown the Irish women won bronze medals.

As things turned out, the men's short-course team, who race tomorrow, will be far from full strength. The likes of Peter Mathews, Seamus Power, Mark Carroll and Alistair Cragg were all unavailable and so the team is an uneven mix of short-course specialists and those better suited to the long race.

Dublin's Robert Connolly, who won the short-course trials in Dunleer a fortnight ago, heads the challenge and at his best may make the top 30.

Others, especially national champion Martin McCarthy and 38-year-old Noel Berkeley, won't fancy the 4km distance.

Both McCarthy and Berkeley were entered as individuals for Sunday's long-course race, but are unlikely to race twice in Switzerland without the incentive of a team result. At this stage then it seems the men's long-course race will lack an Irish presence.

According to Liam Hennessy, international secretary with Athletics Ireland, there will be a reassessment of the team priorities for next year.

"Many people think the 4km race has taken away from the event, and we certainly don't want to lose all interest in the long race, so there is likely to be a change of emphasis in the future," he says.

The women's team also suffered the loss of Sonia O'Sullivan through injury, and with that went any chance of repeating the bronze medals. Anne Keenan Buckley, 10th last year, can still mix it with the front runners but the realistic team hopes are now for a top-10 finish.

Team manager Jerry Kiernan nevertheless reckons if Maria McCambridge and Breda Dennehy Willis run to their potential then a top-six placing is possible. Valerie Vaughan, Niamh Beirne and Una English complete the team.

Kenya's Edith Masai is clearly in form to regain the short course title. In the absence of defending long-course champion Paula Radcliffe (preparing for the London marathon) Masai's young compatriot, Alice Timbilil, could make it a Kenyan double.

Ethiopia's Kenenisa Bekele is also back to defend both men's titles. The 20-year-old was sidelined through illness earlier this year but having already won in his five cross country starts this season he should still dominate.