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.

“As team manager my focus would probably be on the European championships,” she declares. “I feel, as Irish athletes, we can achieve a lot at that level. This year I would say I’m quite happy. I think we have progressed quite a lot. In 2006 we probably had only one athlete that finished in the top 10 in the European championships. Last year (December 2007) we had six.”

With that in mind, “some good individual results and a proper team performance” would please the former doyenne of Irish cross-country running.

Certainly one has to be optimistic about Britton’s prospects given last year’s run and the manner in which she pulverised the field at the national championships by 66 seconds, but the Slí Chulainn runner is not one to talk her chances up.

She is aware of the increased expectations but maintains that having a team with her on this occasion will be a huge benefit.

“Last year you could just head off to Kenya and know people didn’t know who you were. If you ran well people might remember and if you didn’t everyone’s forgotten. This year is different and harder, but I think with the team it helps.”

Britton acknowledges the African factor but she won’t be keeping an eye out for anyone in particular. Nor is she revealing her targets.

“It’s hard to know what to expect because it’s not like you can compare times with different tracks and that. If you focus on anyone, your plan could go out the window if their plan goes out the window… so you’ve just got to run your own race and try and stay with the group.”

Alistair Cragg is also looking to make an impact.

“I’ve worked hard and lost a lot of weight since (the nationals in) Belfast. I’m hoping to break into the top 10 but I’m going to run carefully, sit back and just see how it works out; sit in somewhere around 25th, 20th and work around from there.”

Keith Kelly and Chris Cariss are late withdrawals from the senior men’s team, while Patricia Barry has been added to the contingent to participate in the junior women’s race.