Irish team up against it at world championships

THE terrain and climate might be more suitable than was the case when the European titles were up for grabs in Spain last December, but Ireland’s 21-strong team will still be up against it when the world championships take place in Edinburgh tomorrow.

Last year, the sole Irish competitor, Fionnuala Britton, carved out a remarkable 14th place in Kenya’s 32C. With a greater representation this time around, one might imagine that hopes are high for something special north of Hadrian’s Wall, but that is not necessarily the case.

As team manager Anne Keenan-Buckley points out, Britton’s magnificent run was very much a beacon in the dark last season and while the country’s fortunes would appear to have improved significantly in the subsequent 12 months, the presence of the ever-powerful Africans will make things very difficult indeed.