Murray still hopeful despite losing Cragg

THE forced withdrawal of Alistair Cragg has been a huge blow to Ireland’s medal hopes at the European cross-country championships in Tilburg, but the men’s team, led by national champion Gary Murray, are ready to get on with the job they came here to do.

"Of course, it is a huge disappointment for everyone a disappointment for Ireland and a disappointment for the team but we just have to get on with it," Murray, who led the Irish junior team to bronze medals in 1999, insisted last night.

That year, in Velenjel in Slovakia, he finished eighth.

Murray would like to transfer that form to senior level.

"To be honest, I have not set myself any targets. You start setting targets and you start putting yourself under a lot of pressure," he said.

"We will all go out there on Sunday and do the best we can, and if we can all run to our potential, then you never know what might happen."

Last year, in Heringsdorf, he made a disappointing senior debut when finishing 64th. Since then, he claimed the national inter-clubs title in sensational style at Santry last February and highlighted his current wellbeing by adding the inter-counties title to his collection just a couple of weeks ago.

"I was very disappointed with my run last year," he admitted.

"I will certainly run better this time around. I am in pretty good shape right now and have had absolutely no problems with my preparations.

"I have been able to run over the course and I liked it. It is relatively flat with two or three drags and I like that. I think the course will suit us."

The vacancy left by Cragg when he was forced to withdraw on Thursday evening, when a blister on his foot became infected, has been filled by Paul McNamara from Athenry who finished one place behind Murray in Heringsdorf last year.

Mark Kenneally (Clonliffe Harriers), who was 59th, returns while Gareth Turnbull is an exciting addition to the squad. He won an individual bronze medal as a junior in Ferrara, Italy, in 1998. Since then, most of his energies have been directed to the track where he was frustrated by injury but he appeared to have rediscovered his flair for cross-country at the inter-counties in Sligo.

In the absence of Cragg, however, the Irishman attracting most attention here is Mullingar man, Martin Fagan who broke the 30-year-old course record at New York's Van Cortlandt Park when winning his Conference title. The Providence College student went on to finish ninth in the NCAA championships and the course here could suit his front running tactics.

Courses or conditions don't bother defending champion Sergiy Lebid who will be going for a sensational fifth successive title and six in all. The tough Ukrainian holds the distinction of having competed every year since the event was introduced in Alnwick back in 1995 and he has lost none of his enthusiasm as he goes to the line as the favourite once again.

"I am not saying I am going to win this year ­ that could bring bad luck ­ but my training in the last month has gone really well," he said last night.

Since Ireland's Catherina McKiernan won the inaugural event in Alnwick in 1995, no woman has succeeded in winning back-to-back titles so Great Britain's Hayley Yelling has the opportunity to make history if she can successfully defend the title she won in such exciting fashion last year.

The favourite for the gold medal this time around is Poland's Justyna Bak, last year's runner-up, who arrived here with two big wins behind her.

Jolene Byrne led the Irish team home in 16th place last year and, like Gary Murray, has won both the inter- clubs and inter-counties titles in the meantime. Rosemary Ryan (Bilboa), who competed in Thun, returns to the squad, and Mary Cullen has flown over from Providence for the race.

The junior men's team has been weakened by the withdrawal of European junior 1,500m champion, Colin Costello but Danny Darcy, the silver medallist behind the Meathman last summer, returns.

Roseanne Galligan finished 13th last year and, since then, has had this race as a target. She trained through the inter-counties won impressively by Linda Byrne who is one of three DSD runners on the junior women's team.

Also included is Aoife Cooke who has been breaking college records throughout the season in the US.