Cragg opts for 4k race in cross-country medal quest
He will run as an individual, with the Irish men's team entered for the long course (12k) race the following day.
Cragg had originally planned to double up for both races, but after speaking with his coach, John McDonnell, he decided that doubling up would not be an option as he did not have the required mileage done.
The decision to concentrate on the short course race will enhance Cragg's chances of a medal, although he admitted the world cross-country medal is the most difficult to win.
"But if I did not think I had a chance of winning a medal I would not be competing," he said.
"I finished 16th last year but was not quite prepared for that race. I did not know what to expect."
Yesterday's spotlight should have been on Cragg and David Gillick after his stunning gold medal performance in the men's 400m, but it was Ireland's national sprints coach, Paddy Fay, who was the centre of attraction in Madrid yesterday.
Officials from other nations were desperately seeking the secret of the success being enjoyed by Ireland's sprinters, the type of programme that is in place and how many millions were being spent on it.
"I dared not tell them that we have been operating on a shoestring for many years," the Irish coach said.
"The real secret is just dedication, commitment and sacrifice all round."
There was a time when Irish sprinters were dismissed in terms of European and world athletics. It was not until 1996 when Fay was appointed national sprints coach that he introduced organisation into the system.
"What I had to do was get rid of the 'my athlete' syndrome and I think that was the real secret," he said.
"We had very good coaches, all with good ideas and once we got them working together we were on the right road. I think we are fortunate to have a man like John Sheehan from Leevale as our national junior coach.
"Apart from being a very good coach in his own right, he has an eye for talent and discovering potential in athletes and, as a result, we have some good youngsters coming through.
"And we must give credit to AAI for their foresight in sending a 4x400m relay team to the world junior championships in Jamaica three years ago. That team included David Gillick, Dave McCarthy and Tomas Coman, and look how they have progressed.
"David Gillick's performance at the European championships in Madrid highlighted the progress we have made since then. But Paul McKee won a bronze medal in the 400m at the world indoor championships in Birmingham and last year we won bronze in the 4x400m relay at the worlds in Vienna.
"The gold medal here takes us to another level - I would say we are now on the fourth rung of the ladder and still climbing. It is all pretty exciting.
"As regards funding I could not tell those people how much we were spending on the programme but it is minimal. Hopefully this performance will give us that bit more prominence and make the powers that be sit up and take notice and realise we have something really big going for us here."
"Two golds is a very healthy return for us," agreed Performance Director Elaine Fitzgerald.
"We brought a team comprised basically of youngsters to Madrid to give them the experience that they can draw on in the future.
"We were very lucky to have the likes of Mark Carroll there because the newcomers were able to draw on his experience.
"We had some really big hard luck stories as well - like Paul Hession, who knew he had to win his heat to get a lane that would give him a chance of getting into the final of the men's 200m.
"Despite knocking 0.21 seconds off his personal best he failed by centimetres to win the heat and got Lane 3, which was a disaster.
"And I feel Derval O'Rourke would not just have made the final of the 60m hurdles, I think she would have won a medal, had she got there.
"Unfortunately she knocked her ankle off the third hurdle and injured herself - thankfully not as seriously as we thought - and that put paid to her chances. But she was on course to qualify. The bronze medal was won in 8.00 seconds and she is in shape to break eight seconds right now.
"This is all a huge stepping stone for us. We have a programme in place and the results would indicate that we are on target to achieve our objectives.
"For the younger athletes we have the European U-23 championships during the summer and David Gillick will be a gold medal favourite there.
"There is also the World Universities and the world championships in Helsinki which, of course, will be the big target.
"And next year we have the European outdoor championships in Gothenburg and that's where we would really expect to reap the benefits of the experience that we have earned here in Madrid over the past weekend.
"It is all pretty exciting."
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