Houston problem as Fagan fails to get visa

MARTIN FAGAN’S hopes of a quick return to the US to complete his preparations for next month’s Houston Marathon were dashed yesterday when he failed to get a quick visa to re-enter the country.

He was refused re-entry at Philadelphia Airport last Monday on his return from the European Cross-country Championships, and while he resigned himself to the fact that he would not make Houston, hopes were rekindled when officials at the US Embassy agreed to meet him yesterday.

However, he came away without a visa and the Irish team manager, Patsy McGonagle, said it would take some time for him to get the type of visa he requires.

“It could take months,” he said. “So, in view of that, Martin will have to make alternative arrangements.”

The Mullingar man had been hoping to achieve the qualifying standard for next year’s Olympic marathon in Houston but he will have to redirect his bid to a race in Europe.

“There will be suitable races coming up on a regular basis from late January,” McGonagle said. “I know he has mentioned London as a possible but there are others — Milan, for instance — so he should have a choice.

“At the moment he has been offered the option of joining the UK athletes at their training camp in South Africa and his clubmate, Mark Christie, has a key for him for the house which Athletics Ireland has rented on the DCU campus. He can go in on Monday and train with the group based there.”

All his possessions are in Flagstaff, Arizona, where he has been based with Greg McMillan’s elite group.

He does not even have his training gear with him but he is hoping that Keith Kelly will bring some of that over next Tuesday when he comes home for Christmas.