O'Sullivan's options kept open

The Athletic Association of Ireland (AAI) have pre-selected Sonia O'Sullivan for both the long and short course races at next month's World Cross Country Championships. O'Sullivan has also been given advance notification of her selection for the World Indoor Championships, which take place a fortnight before the Leopardstown event.

An announcement of which race O'Sullivan will target is expected within the next couple of weeks but the AAI have guaranteed her a place in both teams, taking most of the pressure off her decision.

O'Sullivan has been in contact with Irish team coach Jerry Kiernan and has assured him that her decision to run the long or short course race (or both) will be made known well in advance of the event, now just over six weeks away.

The more immediate goal is the World Indoors in Lisbon, which take place on the weekend of March 9th-11th. O'Sullivan has been pre-selected for both the 1,500 and 3,000 metres and although her focus there is also undecided, it is almost certain that she will attempt the longer distance.

Her decision on which race to target in Leopardstown will have a major bearing on which event will have the stronger Irish team, and as a result, will affect the decisions of the other Irish athletes seeking selection.

The primary trial in choosing the Irish teams will be the National Cross Country Championships in Scotstown, Co Monaghan, on February 25th. The first three finishers in each of the four races (senior and junior men, senior and junior women) will gain an automatic place and the other three places will be decided after consultation with the team coaches, as well as depending on O'Sullivan's preference.

So far, it seems more likely that O'Sullivan will aim for the long course title on the Saturday, March 24th, and perhaps come back for the short course event the following day. Selection for the short course races (senior men and senior women only) will be decided on a similar basis after the trial in Dublin on March 11th.

Either way, O'Sullivan has also made it known that the World Cross Country is her primary focus. "Sonia is very enthusiastic about Leopardstown and at this stage everything is geared towards it," says Kiernan. "She has indicated to me that she wants to keep an open mind about which distance to run but she has also made it clear that everyone will know well in advance. The World Indoors are on two weeks before and they are also likely to have a bearing on her decision."

A number of Irish athletes are already assured of joining O'Sullivan in Lisbon. Peter Coghlan (60 metre hurdles), Karen Shinkins (400 metres), Ciara Sheehy (60 metres), Mark Carroll (3,000 metres), James Nolan (1,500 metres) and Brendan Reilly (high jump) are so far the most obvious candidates for selection having achieved the necessary qualifying standards.

Hoping to join that list over the next couple of weeks is Freda Davoran, who won both the 800 and 1,500 metres at last weekend's National Indoor Championships in Nenagh. Davoran's best chance will be in the longer event (4:15.00 qualifying mark) and she has targeted the Indoor Grand Prix in Birmingham on Sunday week as the occasion to seek it.

Also chasing selection is Dublin's Robert Daly, who won a competitive 400 metre indoor title in Nenagh in 48.80 seconds. But he must finish in under 47.00 seconds flat to be assured of his place.