Cragg: 'That's the best I could have done'

Alistair Cragg, Ireland's second track finalist of the Athens Games, has played down his chances of success in Saturday's 5000m final.

The 24-year-old Johannesburg-born runner clocked 13:23.01 to finish seventh in this evening's first heat, and qualify fourth of five fastest losers.

"I was a few seconds off the big guys", said Cragg, who finished less than two seconds behind heat winner Kenenisa Bekele, the 10000m Olympic champion, "there were six top guys there, and that's the best I could have done."

"I put myself up front and showed my presence, which was good for me mentally. Just to tell them I was there.

"I couldn't control the time of the heat (the slowest by 2.22 seconds), but seventh behind those six guys is where I predicted I would be. I'm satisfied so."

The Irish 3000m indoor record holder, although competing at his first major outdoor track championship outdoors for his adopted country, is well aware of how difficult the final will be - as the only European representative of the 15-strong field.

"I'm young, and I want to have a career where I mix it with them", said Cragg, world-ranked 39th, "I want to race with instincts. I knew the split in the field was going to happen at some stage tonight, so I have to be prepared for something similar on Saturday.

"No one remembers if you get kicked out in the heats, so perhaps this is a bit of motivation for the young Irish athletes coming through. It hasn't been the best Olympics so far for the team."

One such athlete who has under-performed is Irish 5000m record holder Mark Carroll. The Leevale man bounced out of tonight's second heat, finishing 15th in 13:46.81, well below his usual level of competition.

A Sydney veteran, Carroll admitted afterwards that tonight was 'probably the end of my track career'. The 32-year-old is shifting his focus towards the marathon.