Athletics News round-upIan O'Riordan talks to sports therapist Gerard Hartmann, who is suspending his practice in Limerick city over concerns for the safety of elite athletes visiting for treatment

Growing concerns over the safety of his athletes have forced sports-injury specialist Gerard Hartmann to temporarily close his clinic in Limerick and transfer his operation to the south of France for the remainder of the season. Though emphasising his decision was made reluctantly, Hartmann wasn't prepared to take any further risks in the countdown to the Athens Olympics.

Since establishing his clinic in his native Limerick seven years ago, Hartmann has built up an elite list of clients, including runners Sonia O'Sullivan and Britain's Paula Radcliffe. The former Irish triathlon champion has several apartments above his clinic, where the athletes would spend days or sometimes weeks while receiving treatment.

Invariably part of that treatment involves recovery runs from his clinic, at the bottom of Patrick Street, out along the Plassey river bank to the University of Limerick. It's that narrow three-mile stretch that has been the scene of several distressing incidents involving his athletes.

"Almost all my athletes have curtailed their visits this year, and stayed maybe two or three days at most," says Hartmann. "What's happened is that we've had a series of incidents in the last year or two, and they've been on the rise.

"Here we are less than three months before the Olympics, and my big fear and worry is that something serious might happen one of the athletes. And say they have to miss the Olympic- my reputation would suffer in a big way and so would Limerick's. And it would also mean me moving out of here permanently."

One particularly nasty incident involved Sally Barsosio, Kenya's former World 10,000-metre champion, a close friend as well as client of Hartmann. Last St Patrick's Day she was surrounded by stone-throwing youths and, in trying to escape, got lost in a housing estate in Corbally; she was clearly traumatised when eventually getting back to the clinic.

Radcliffe, the world marathon record holder and probably Hartmann's highest-profile client, has also had some anxious moments along the Plassey bank, including a run-in with a wild horse.

"In Paula's case she won't go out on a run unless her husband, Gary, is with her on the bike," added Hartmann "And last year Paula would have spent 16 weeks here. So far this year she's only been here a week and a half. And that's partly because of the concerns over her safety.

"I don't know if word about these incidents has trickled down, and more people are targeting the runners. And I suppose athletes will always be easy targets for incidents of this sort. But it's reached the stage where they cannot go out alone without fears for their safety.

"I emphasise that there have been more scares than attacks, but another part of the problem is that we just don't have any major parks in Limerick for people to run. We have the run along the river and that's it."

O'Sullivan is also working closely with Hartmann in her countdown to Athens and is currently in Limerick for a general check-up after some recent races: "Sonia has always enjoyed running on the Plassey bank," he says, "but has said to me that it was a shame it had become so risky.

"I'm hopeful this will be only a temporary measure. But as long as the athletes have a concern I have a responsibility for their safety."

After spending next week in Cologne, Hartmann will then transfer his practice to Perpignan, in the south of France, before heading to Athens in August. While for now he intends returning to Limerick in September, he has been in communication with the city council and Shannon Development with suggestions of ways to improve safety.

"This building I occupy has been in the family for 128 years but I'm still paying rates to the council and not being here for three and a half months is costing me a lot of money. I've always loved Limerick and that's the reason I returned here after doing my training in the US and hopefully I can continue to work here."

Radcliffe, incidentally, has announced her plans to return to the track ahead of the Athens Olympics - and still hasn't completely ruled out competing over 10,000 metres rather than the marathon.

She'll run the 10,000 metres at the British Grand Prix in Gateshead on June 27th, with one eye on the 31 minutes 45 seconds necessary to qualify for Athens. Considering her last track race, over the same distance at the European Championships in August 2002, saw her run a European record of 30:01.09, she should have little problem hitting that mark.