ATHLETICS: After much confusion in Munich yesterday, and a couple of protests too, it was finally confirmed that Sonia O'Sullivan would defend her European 5,000 metres title as a straight final, set for tomorrow afternoon, but that it wouldn't involve a repeat meeting with Britain's Paula Radcliffe. Ian O'Riordan reports from Munich
The two qualifying heats scheduled for last night were cancelled and instead O'Sullivan now takes on a larger than normal field of 23 runners. For a while yesterday Radcliffe was still considering her entry and an attempt to add a second gold medal to that won so sensationally over 10,000 metres on Tuesday night.
Even with the cancellation of the two heats, Radcliffe decided against another day on the track and will leave Munich later today to start her preparations for the Chicago marathon in October. A world record there promises a world record pay-day.
A significant doubt hung over the participation of Russia's world champion Olga Yegorova after she failed to make an appearance in Munich. However, she was spotted at the championships last night and she looks certain to take her place. As the fastest European of all time at the distance, Yegorova would be the only real threat to O'Sullivan holding on to her title.
Radcliffe's decision to withdraw has prevented another fascinating showdown in Munich's Olympic Stadium on the penultimate day of the championships, which already this week has witnessed some of the greatest distance races in many years. It was understood that the cancellation of the heats would encourage her participation, and once Portugal's Fernanda Ribeiro withdrew her name from the list early yesterday morning, it became clear that the race would be run as a straight final.
At that point, however, Irish team manager Patsy McGonagle lodged an objection to the decision to cancel the heats, based partly on O'Sullivan's desire to run the heats as preparation for tomorrow's final. The Spanish team, who has a medal hope in Marta Dominguez, lodged a similar objection.
"At 11.0 this morning I was informed that the 5,000 metre heats had been cancelled," explained McGonagle. "We saw the list and there were 24 athletes still there. Fernanda Ribeiro of Portugal pulled out but that was the only one.
"The rule as I knew it was quite clear, in that there was an upper limit of 19 runners for the 5,000 metres. Entries between 20 and 38 athletes meant two different heats had to be run. I know Sonia was anxious to run, and had been prepared for a race tonight in terms of diet of rest and all that and it just wasn't the best situation. Not just for Sonia but for our other two Irish entrants as well, Una English and Maria McCambridge."
There was, however, a precedent set earlier this week when the men's 5,000 metres, set for Sunday's closing day of competition, was fixed a straight final - even though it includes 24 runners.
"At least in that situation we walked away from the technical meeting on the opening day knowing that was the case," explained McGonagle, "so we made the decision to take the objection to the Jury of Appeal."
Chairing that jury was, ironically, Irish EAA member Al Guy but the protest was, nonetheless, rejected. The Spanish objection suffered a similar fate.
In the meantime the British Athletics federation had learned that the heats were cancelled and checked out one last time if Radcliffe wished to run. She would stand by her decision not to race again, and in doing so cleared the way for O'Sullivan to depart Munich with her European title intact.
For Geraldine Hendricken, the heats of the women's 1,500 metres were never in doubt with three races set for 10.20 this morning Munich time (9.20 Irish). The Carlow athlete, who has made such a remarkable comeback this season at the age of 32, goes in the second race with clear ambitions of progressing to Sunday's final. Only one other athlete in her race, Spain's Natalia Rodriguez, has clocked a faster time this season than Hendricken's four minutes 3.18 seconds.
"I can't wait for this race now," she said yesterday, after jogging around the warm-up track with the confidence of a world class athlete. "I feel brilliant and I'm not going to sit around in this race. I don't want to get caught and if that means leading the race to ensure qualification then I know I can do it."
Just last Sunday, before coming to Munich, Hendricken ran 2:04.7 for 800 metres at the National League. "That was perfect preparation," she said. "And it was a nice confidence boost because I was bit worried the calf injury was still there from Monaco."
Ireland's other entrant, Maria Lynch, goes in the third and final heat, alongside title favourite Gabriela Szabo of Romania. With only three in each race along with the three fastest losers assured of qualification, Lynch will need to be at her absolute best.
Peter Coghlan, who is the other main Irish interest tomorrow, goes in the fourth of five heats in the 110 metre hurdles. Though drawn in lane eight, Coghlan has the second fastest season's best of the seven starters and is thinking only about progressing.
There was little luck, however, for the rest of the Irish in action yesterday. Derval O'Rourke was on the track in the fourth of five 100 metre hurdles heats. Despite running very close to her best of 13.38 seconds, her fifth place finish in 13.41 left her just two places short of qualification for the semi-finals. At 21, and in her first major championship, it was still a useful experience for the Cork athlete.
There was no joy either for Jamie Costin in the 50km walk when disqualification for a third warning shortly beyond halfway ended his hopes of adding to the high finishes of the rest of the Irish race walkers in Munich. At least Costin could say he was part of history, as Poland's Olympic and World Champion Robert Korzeniowski finally broke the world record he so craved, arriving home in three hours, 36 minutes, 39 seconds.
