O’Sullivan and Carroll out to prove doubters wrong
The pair, who have spearheaded Ireland’s Olympic, world and European challenges for so long, had the dubious distinction of topping the list of international athletes who got the chop when the grants under the Carding Scheme were released recently.
O’Sullivan, a former world and European champion and Olympic silver-medallist, has appealed against the shock decision, but Carroll insists he won’t grovel.
“I think they were trying to make a clear statement that we were either too old or not producing the goods,” he said. “For my part they are wrong. I still have some more national records and some good marathons in me so I will continue to train and pursue my goals. I am not washed up.
“The five year rule is being quoted but nobody has explained to me what it is,” Sonia O’Sullivan said. But she admitted she was not totally surprised when the cuts were announced.
“John Treacy called to let me know before it was announced. But nobody called me to ask if I was going to run in the 2008 Olympics or if I would run in the world championships or what kind of support I needed, if any.
This morning the Cork pair will have the perfect stage to state their case for the Great BUPA Ireland Run has reached a new peak with some of the world’s leading athletes participating in a field of more than 5,500.
O’Sullivan, who lines up alongside Paula Radcliffe in the London Marathon tomorrow week, will be looking for the fast time that will convince her that she has prepared correctly.
Her opposition includes the European cross-country champion, Hayley Yelling and her Great Britain team mate, Charlotte Dale, who finished third two years ago; last year’s runner-up, Ukranian Elana Fadeeva; Jessica Augusto from Portugal; the Spanish cross-country champion, Amaia Piedra, Hafida Gadi of France, the Irish national cross-country champion, Jolene Byrne and 2004 Olympian, Maria McCambridge.
Mark Carroll was the first to admit that Craig Mottram is poised for a third consecutive title. The 24 year old Australian ran 13:20 for second place in the Carlsbad 5k in California last weekend and there are few around who can replicate that form.
Britain’s John Mayock, an Olympic finalist over 1500m took another medal from the European indoor championships when he finished second to Alistair Cragg and he is also a former winner of this race.
Alexander Sitkovsky (Ukraine) was a shock winner of the European cross-country title in Slovenia in 2003, while Ricardo Ribas (Portugal) is the reigning national cross-country champion and finished 8th in the 10,000m on the track at the European Cup races in Spain last weekend.
“Craig (Mottram) is the man. He is in flying form right now,” Carroll insisted but he is expecting a big run himself and will compete in the corresponding race in Scotland in two weeks time before going to Stanford for a 10,000m track race on May 1.
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