ATHLETICS NEWS:EAMONN COGHLAN believes only a little sabotage will stop Bernard Lagat from equalling his record of seven Wanamaker Mile victories during tonight's Millrose Games at Madison Square Garden.

US Olympian and 2007 world 1,500 metres and 5,000 metres champion Lagat will attempt to conquer the tight corners of the short Garden track for a seventh time in one of the indoor track world’s most famous races.

His chief rival over the 11-lap mile will be New Zealand’s Nick Willis, the 2008 Olympic 1,500 metres bronze medallist, and a victory for the defending champion would tie him with “Chairman of the Boards” Coghlan, who won his seven between 1977 and 1987.

The Dubliner, returning to New York to watch the race, joked that he may have to call on the arena’s maintenance crew, many of whom are his compatriots, to keep his record intact.

“The quote I heard Bernard make last year, that he was going to come back this year to become the Co-Chairman of the Boards, but then he’d come back in 2010 and become the President of the Boards,” Coghlan said.

“Actually I have a plan with the Irish carpenters at Madison Square Garden to have the turns loose so maybe they will trip up Bernard, so Nick can go on to win his first Wanamaker Mile.”

Coghlan (56), who like Lagat was a world champion at 5,000 metres, said his multiple successes in the Wanamaker Mile had lived with him into middle age, but he would be happy for Lagat to join him in the history books.

“It’s really a fantastic opportunity for me to come back here to really witness history being equalled and perhaps surpassed next year.”

Lagat, too, said, the Wanamaker held a special significance.

“Trying to tie the record of Eamonn Coghlan is really something that has been in my mind. I remember crossing the line last year and I thought, ‘man, this is the sixth one. The seventh one is going to be another challenge’.”