ALISTAIR CRAGG admitted yesterday that he is still haunted by his experience in the final of the 5,000m at the European outdoor championships in Gothenburg last year.

ALISTAIR CRAGG faces one of the most important assignments of his career when defending his European indoor 3,000m title in Birmingham this afternoon (3.40pm).

ALISTAIR CRAGG has been drawn in the first of the 3000 metre heats, which get underway at 11.15am this morning, and he will meet two other medal favourites in Jesus Espala (Spain) and the newly-crowned European cross-country champion Mo Farah (GB).

IT will be difficult for those following in the footsteps of Alistair Cragg and David Gillick at this weekend’s European indoor championships in Birmingham.