Yelling joins O’Sullivan in 3,000m field for Cork City Sports

HAYLEY YELLING, the European cross-country champion, will join Sonia O’Sullivan for the women’s 3,000m at the BUPA Cork City Sports on July 2 at The Mardyke.

The field continues to grow in quality and another big name to be confirmed yesterday was the AAA 5,000m champion Catherine Berry.

Kim Smith from New Zealand, a former Providence College athlete under Ray Treacy, is enjoying a new lease of life.

She ran 8:49.18 indoors for 3,000m last year and reduced her 5,000m time to 15:09.72 and a reproduction of that form would make it hot for Sonia O’Sullivan.

Another who has rediscovered her form in recent times is Mary Cullen from Sligo, who was an outstanding schoolgirl.

Daniel Caines, former world indoor 400m champion, has joined a star-studded entry for the men’s 400m. The Manchester athlete won the world indoor title in 2001 and was back to take the silver medal behind Tyree Washington and ahead of Ireland’s Paul McKee in Birmingham in 2003.

The leading athlete from The Democratic Republic of Congo is 27-year-old Gary Kikaya and he is another confirmed entry for Cork.

At the moment he is entered at both 200m and 400m and holds the national records at both distances back home. He ran 20.56 for 200m on his seasonal debut earlier this year.

He is a sociology student at University of Tennessee and when he won a bronze medal at the world indoor championships last year he became the first ever world medallist from his country.

He began his athletics career in South Africa where his father was Congo’s ambassador and he was the NCAA 400m champion in 2002.

The advance in 400m running was reflected in the performances of athletes like new European indoor champion, David Gillick, ultra consistent David McCarthy and the world bronze medallist, Paul McKee, in recent years.

Tomás Coman just made an impressive seasonal debut while Paul McKee, after a year out through injury, was back in action in the 200m at the AAI Games recently.

Paul Bitok, one of the leading Kenyans on the circuit, will join Mark Carroll in the men’s 3,000m.

The airman from Nandi is a double Olympic silver medallist at 5,000m with medals from 1992 in Barcelona and 1996 in Atlanta.

Keith Kelly who has returned to form after a frustrating period of prolonged injury will make a welcome return while Martin Fagan from Mullingar, who is at the end of an impressive season Stateside will also compete.

Dan Lincoln, a world ranked steeplechaser from the USA, has also been confirmed for the 3,000m.