Alastair Cragg has finished sixth in his 5000m heat at the Beijing Olympics.

There is a general consensus that the fastest athletes in the World Cross Country championships

Gareth Turnbull will be concentrating on the indoor season after refusing to be selected for the Irish team to compete in next week's European Cross-Country Championships in Milan.

LABAN ROTICH failed by a fraction in his bid to become the first athlete to break four minutes for the mile in Kerry at last night’s Lee Strand international meeting on Castleisland’s resplendent track when he outsprinted fellow Kenyan, Paul Korir, to win in 4:00.63.

DERVAL O'ROURKE arrived back in Dublin last night to an emotional reception from fans eager to celebrate her world indoor championship gold medal.

Alastair Cragg will lead the Irish team in the European Cross Country Championships scheduled for Tilburg in Holland on December 11.

Former 3,000metres title holder Mark Carroll has confirmed his availability to compete for Ireland in next month’s European Indoor Championships.

MARK CARROLL is almost certain to take his place alongside Alastair Cragg in the 3,000m at the European Indoor Championships in Madrid next month and will also take part in the BUPA Great Ireland Run on April 19.

Ireland's Alastair Cragg had a disappointing race in the men's 5000metres final, finishing 12th in a time of 13:43.06.

ATHLETICS Ireland have named a team of nine for the world indoor championships in Budapest, but could add two more to the squad over the coming days.

SHE can’t think of a better way to end the year than a medal from European cross-country championships.

CATHERINA McKIERNAN was back in full training yesterday, within hours of winning the women’s race at the Margate International.

KEITH KELLY may be in flying form right now, and Seamus Power and Peter Matthews are back on track, but Ireland will have to wait for news of Alastair Cragg’s plans before assessing the medal hopes in the men’s race at next month’s European cross-country championships in Edinburgh.

MARTIN McCARTHY faces his moment of destiny on Sunday when he lines up for his debut marathon in Berlin.

IT APPEARS as if The AAI are likely to agree to Martin McCarthy’s who asked expressed the desire request to be entered in both the short and long course races at the world cross-country championships in Lausanne at the end of the month.

SONIA O’SULLIVAN is unlikely to compete in the world indoor championships in Birmingham next month.

JERRY KIERNAN is hopeful he will have both Catherina McKiernan and Seamus Power available when the teams for the world cross-country championships in Lausanne at the end of March are selected.

ALASTAIR CRAGG will be the focus of attention when he lines up for the European cross-country championships in Medulin, Croatia, tomorrow.

ALASTAIR CRAGG, who has recently declared for Ireland and made himself available for selection for next month's European cross-country championships, finished second in yesterday's American national collegiate cross-country championships at Indiana State University.

SÉAMUS POWER has dominated the national inter-counties cross-country chapionships for the past seven years, and there is nothing to indicate that he will not win a record eighth title at Donoughmore, Co Cork, tomorrow.