Strong Irish team named

ATHLETICS: Athletics Ireland yesterday finalised a 13-strong Irish team for the World Indoor Championships in Birmingham later this month. Four athletes will double as part of the men's 400-metre relay squad, which will compete on the World Indoor stage for the first time.

Gary Ryan and Paul Brizzel are selected in the 200 metres, with Paul McKee and David McCarthy selected in the 400 metres, and ideally Athletics Ireland would also have those four as part of the 400- metre relay squad. Antoine Burke and Daniel Tobin are named as part of the relay squad only.

But the tight schedule of the championships, run over three days from March 14-16th, has created a possible conflict. The qualifying round of the relay takes place on the Saturday afternoon, just a few hours before the scheduled semi-finals of the 400 metres, and the final of the 200 metres. Should all four of the Irish advance to those stages following Friday's opening session then the relay may have to be abandoned, as the athletes would naturally focus on their individual events.

The seven other members of the Irish team are Mark Howard (60 metres) and James Nolan (1,500 metres) on the men's side, with the women's events to include Ciara Sheehy (200 metres), Karen Shinkins (400 metres), Maria Lynch (1,500 metres), Maria McCambridge (3,000 metres) and Derval O'Rourke (60 metre hurdles).

Howard was selected for the 60 metres on the back of his 6.77 second clocking last season. Nolan has yet to run indoors this season but has impressed during some winter races in South Africa, where just last weekend he ran 1:49.14 over 800 metres.

For Shinkins, the bronze medallist at last year's European Indoor Championships, the indoor season has been particularly low-key but she has indicated her desire for selection. Lynch, McCambridge and O'Rourke will all be making their first appearances on the World Indoor stage.

One notable absentee from the Irish team is 3,000 metre specialist Alistair Cragg, who has clocked a series of world class times on the US indoor circuit this season but is unfortunately tied to his collegiate commitments at the University of Arkansas until May.

In truth Cragg would have been the only genuine medal prospect, something he underlined this past weekend when he joined the long list of Irish sub-four minute milers. Once again his finishing kick was decisive, and took him to victory in the NCAA Southeastern Conference championships in Gainsville, Florida - with his time of 3:59.94 just dipping under the magical four minute barrier.