Power's withdrawal weakens Ireland team

ATHLETICS: The Irish team for next month's World Cross Country Championships has been further depleted with the announcement that Seamus Power won't be running in Sunday's National Championships in Rathdrum. A combination of illness and injury has prevented Power from training for several weeks, and he is resigned to missing the rest of the season.

Power's defection follows that of Alistair Cragg, who has collegiate commitments at Arkansas until May, Peter Mathews, Keith Kelly (injured) and Mark Carroll (training for the Boston Marathon).

On the women's side, Catherina McKiernan will also be absent from Sunday's championships, although she has not yet ruled herself out of the World Cross Country, which takes place in Lausanne on March 29-30th.

Sonia O'Sullivan remains intent on leading the women's short course team in Lausanne, but an Achilles tendon injury interrupted her training in Australia last week and has cast some doubt on her fitness. Her trial run at the Rás na hÉireann in Dunleer on March 16th will be crucial.

The top 20 in both the senior men's and women's races will gain selection for Lausanne. Anne Keenan Buckley is on course to collect another title, while Cork's Cathal Lombard can capitalise on the absence of Power and Mathews.

Britain's Paula Radcliffe lowered the world record for a 10km road race to 30 minutes 21 seconds in San Juan, Puerto Rice, on Sunday but will spend a couple more weeks training before deciding whether to run in Lausanne.

Gary Ryan has added his name to the Irish team for the World Indoor Championships in March by improving the national 200 metre record to 20.99 seconds at the weekend in Birmingham.