CATHERINA McKiernan will seek to turn silver into gold when the World Cross Country Championships are staged in the Danie Craven Stadium Stellenbosch, South Africa today. Her record of four consecutive silver medals is quite the most consistent of recent years, but the Cavan girl would surely exchange all of that silver for that precious piece of gold which has eluded her so far.
Her preparations going into this year's race are vastly different from those of previous years, when she raced herself to the best possible form. Injury robbed her of the opportunity to prove that her transition into a quality track athlete was complete last summer Indeed those problems hung over until Christmas, thereby considerably curtailing her training programme.
But as ever, she has undertaken the task at hand with thoroughness, spurning the chances of races and instead travelling to Albuquerque for a month's altitude straining. Her racing programme this season only embraced two races, a victory in Paris and a fifth place in Touring before Journeying to the USA.
The wisdom of those decisions will now be under scrutiny iii what is generally recognised as the most difficult race of all to win.
Two of the four athletes who deprived the Cavan girl of the ultimate prize will be among her opponents this time out, with defending champion Derartu Tulu and Albertina Dias among the confirmed entries. Tulu, who became the first Ethiopian woman to win an Olympic gold medal, when winning the 10,000m in Barcelona, will want to continue in that vein, but Dias best days at this distance appear behind her.
But the girl with the most outstanding form is Portugal's Fernanda Ribeiro who was highly impressive when taking gold over 3,000m in Stockholm two weeks ago. Indeed Ribeiro has displayed all the attributes for victory, but interestingly, has always finished behind McKiernan in major tests on the country. European champion AnneMarie Sandell is eligible to compete at both junior and senior level and is expected to defend her junior title.
England's Paula Radcliffe has been preparing quietly for the last few weeks, but was invincible in the early season and would love to add this title to her collection. The Romanian pair of Elena Fidatov and Gabrielle Szabo will also ensure no slacking in pace, while the presence of the Sally Barsosio of Kenya will ensure a rough passage for all. Kenya, Romania and Portugal will also be heavily involved in the team prize.
The course itself is reported to be fast with an artificial, almost vertical 25 metre climb, ensuring a break in rhythm, while the underfoot conditions vary from soft at the beginning to very firm further down the course. Conditions are expected to reach 32 degrees by race time, but while it is very warm, humidity will not be a major problem.
Africa will be expected to dominate the men's event with the Irish squad hoping for a place in the top ten teams. Indeed, this is bone of the most talented and youngest Irish teams to have travelled in recent years, with a place in the top fifty the aim of athletes of the calibre of David Burke, Noel Cullen and John Downes.
Up front, the pace is bound to be hectic with the strong Kenyan contingent, led by defending champion Paul Tergat. A feature of this race in recent times has been the way the Kenyans have grouped to ensured that one of the athletes lands the plaudits. Haile Gebresalessie of Ethiopia will lead the challenge to unseat Tergat, while Portugal's Paula Guerro is not without hope of making it into the top ten as well as the leading European. The team battle should be between Kenya, Ethiopia with Portugal and Spain left to fight out the minor placing.
