THE date for next year’s Cork City Sports has been put back to accommodate the US Olympic trials, the Russian championships and the Caribbean countries whose championships coincide with the US championships.

THE legendary Michael Johnson telephoned the organisers of the BUPA Cork City Sports during the week in a bid to get one of his proteges, Darold Williamson, into their July 1 showpiece at The Mardyke.

The grand prix of race walking in Leamington at the weekend fell foul of the SARS epidemic with the withdrawal of the Chinese teams.