Cragg’s Irish baptism of fire

ALISTAIR CRAGG may not yet by an household name back in Ireland, but he may not be all that far from achieving superstar status.

Like John Treacy in Bellahouston Park in 1978, Alistair Cragg will line up for today’s short course race at the world cross-country championships in Brussels as an outsider, but prepared to take on the world.

Unlike that historic day in Glasgow when Europeans held the balance of power in distance running, these days it is firmly in the grip of the Ethiopians and the Kenyans but, as an Irishman born in South Africa, he does not fear the African domination.

He has set himself a top five target going into the race although he admits he will be happy if he finishes in the top 10 or 15.

Some people may have had reservations but there is no doubt about it, the green singlet is a perfect fit for this 23-year-old from Johannesburg and he wears it with pride.

A scholarship student at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, he has been coached to greatness by Sligo man, John McDonnell, who put a number of Irish athletes through his hands ­ going back to the 1976 Olympian, Niall O’Shaughnessy, and including twice world indoor 3,000m champion Frank O’Mara, and Paul Donovan from Galway, who won a silver medal behind O’Mara in Indianapolis in 1987.

And Cragg recalls the day he walked into coach McDonnell’s office and told him he wanted to be an Irishman.

His coach was taken aback but Cragg produced the Irish passport he had held since he was five years old.

“There was a time when my parents kept nagging me to run for Ireland. I was getting the times but I was not making the South African teams. They ignored what I ran in the US,” he recalled.

He had run for South African junior teams at the world championships in Belfast and Marrakech where Sonia O’Sullivan won back-to-back titles.

So, John McDonnell contacted the Irish federation and they got working on it.

“They could not have done enough for me. They contacted the South African Federation and got everything in order.”

Before he knew it, he was on the team for the European cross-country championships and finished eighth, despite the fact that he was not feeling well at the time.

This time around, however, he is ready for it. He has just come off an exciting weekend at the NCAA indoor championships where he made history with a third successive 5,000m title and completed the 3,000m/ 5,000m double for a second time. And he is quite happy that the schedule will not affect his performance today.

“Racing-wise I am fine. I may be running quick but I don’t think I am in great shape which is exciting. The races are just kind of work-outs.

“They are tough and I’m racing all out but I ran the Irish record for 3,000m indoors (7:38) without any speed training,” he said. “I just can’t believe I am running that fast without training.

“I am still keeping up the miles and we have not got carried away by the indoor season. I trust my coach to get me right at the right time.”

This weekend will tell him much of what he wants to know about his current form and he is looking forward to taking on the Africans.

“The Africans are tough but I raced against them back in South Africa and I know the motives behind their tactics. They don’t like to have a white kid from Europe or anywhere else gate-crashing their party. I figured that one out a long time ago.”

He has raced against them and beaten some of them in recent times and he is prepared to have a go again.

“It would be stupid of me to think I could run with Kenenisa Bekele. He has done it all.

“But I will go out there and I’ll have a go with the others,” he said.

The Ethiopian will be going for his third successive double this weekend and he is unlikely to be denied that record.

Catherina McKiernan returns to the world cross-country stage in this afternoon’s women’s long course race. Four times a silver medallist, she has already claimed her place among the immortals but she admitted on her arrival in Brussels last evening that ­ this time - she is just happy to be back.

“It’s great to be back and I am looking forward to the race,” she said. “You miss it so much and you want to get back just to see how it feels again. I am in pretty good shape but just how good remains to be seen. I have not set myself any targets or anything like that. I just want to enjoy this after being away for so long.”