Athletics: McKiernan sets sights on European championships

CATHERINA McKIERNAN was back in full training yesterday, within hours of winning the women’s race at the Margate International.

“It was good to win but you are just thinking of the next race,” she said. “I have had two races in two weeks and I just trained through both of them. My next race will be the inter-counties in two weeks time and then the European championships two weeks later.”

McKiernan holds a record four silver medals at world championship level, having been beaten by a different athlete each time, but has a treasured gold medal at European level.

“The important thing is that we will have a good team in Edinburgh,” she said. “Rosemary (Ryan) is back in good form again although she took a wrong course yesterday.

“I was just behind Rosemary when she took the wrong course but she recovered well.”

In fact the Bilboa athlete took the wrong course twice and still came back to finish second to her team-mate on her return to cross-country after a long injury lay-off.

“It was great to see Catherina back winning again,” said AAI International Secretary, Liam Hennessy. “But Rosemary’s performance was also very exciting and important to the team for the European championships.

“We have a commitment from Marie Davenport now as well and I would presume she will be selected as well although she will not be able to come home for the inter-counties. She will be a great addition to the team.”

The men’s team may be without Cathal Lombard and Martin McCarthy, who are both injured, but Seamus Power showed that he is ready to lead them to medals by winning in Margate.

The previous day Alastair Cragg continued his rehabilitation after surgery by finishing second in the conference championships in the US.

“Whether or not he runs in Edinburgh will be entirely up to him,” Liam Hennessy pointed out. “He will have the NCAA championships next and then he will decide.

“He finishes in Arkansas next year and he is an incredible talent and an exciting athlete to have at our disposal.”

Mark Christie from Mullingar completed a great day for Ireland when he won the junior race in Margate. He is now a scholarship student at DCU where former international, Enda Fitzpatrick, is in charge of affairs.