Irish trio hoping for easy pace

The prospect of a first World Championship experience on the track should have been enough to fill the thoughts of Maria McCambridge this week. But she also found herself pondering the deeper issues of her sport, and some of the dark realities of athletics at the highest level.

Later today, McCambridge joins Breda Dennehy-Willis and Una English in the heats of the 5,000 metres, the only event with the full trio of Irish competitors. So far, however, the focus on that race has surrounded Olga Yegorova, the Russian athlete originally suspended because of a failed drug test.

"To be honest it's a disgrace, and a major mess," said McCambridge. "I don't understand why they let her back in, and it definitely doesn't give you much confidence in the IAAF. What you have here is a positive athlete that is allowed to run, and is crazy.

"And I don't think anyone was surprised she was caught. She had a question mark over her anyway, and I imagine there will be a few boos in the stadium when she steps on the track.

"Maybe it will scare a few more people off the drugs, but I can't see why they don't use the same test as cycling, where it's a lot easier to find the positive tests."

From an Irish point of view, interest in this race was normally reserved for Sonia O'Sullivan. While McCambridge starts with significantly lower expectations, it has required similar preparations and hard work, and after a few years of perhaps over- training, the Dundrum runner has started to make her efforts pay off.

Like so many of her predecessors, McCambridge's athletic potential led her to the US, where she spent four years at Providence College.

The sudden increase in training - and a self-confessed dose of homesickness - ultimately didn't help her development, and on her return last year she seemed set to drift from the sport.

But she was not prepared to contemplate life without running just yet. Jerry Kiernan took over her coaching and a successful winter brought her to the World Cross Country in Ostend, where she finished 22nd in the short course race. The talent was emerging once again.

"It has been a bit of a mixed season on the track so far this summer, but I have been feeling very good in the last few weeks."

Her best of 15 minutes, 18.01 seconds from last month puts her in contention for a place in Saturday's final, but she wants a consistent pace. Dennehy-Willis, who clocked 15.15.49, and English, with a best of 15.19.12, also fear the fast finishers, and by avoiding such a scenario it seems likely that one of them will make the final.

James Nolan will be hoping for a similarly solid pace when he goes in the heats of the 1,500 metres. Rather than a last lap burn-up, his chances of qualification for tomorrow's semi-final will also be increased with a steady pace. With the Africans leading the challenge, no one expects qualification to be easy and Nolan will most likely have to improve on his season's best of 3.36.50 to see another day.

With consistency now her middle name, another rewarding performance is expected from Gillian O'Sullivan in the 20km walk. With the record temperatures of earlier in the week now receding, the Kerry athlete has the potential to even surpass her 10th place finish in the Sydney Olympics.