ATHLETICS: Anne Keenan-Buckley is now preparing for her first major track championships in 14 years after securing the qualifying standard for the European Championships in Munich in August.
Her time of 32 minutes 18.03 seconds when finishing sixth in the European 10,000 metre track challenge in Camaiore, Italy, at the weekend was comfortably inside the 32.30.0 laid down by Athletics Ireland at the start of the year, and demonstrated yet again the remarkable renewal of form for the 40-year-old Laois athlete.
The Seoul Olympics of 1988 was the last time Keenan-Buckley ran in a major championship on the track, where she competed over 3,000 metres. Since returning to the sport in recent years, she has concentrated on cross country, but her 10th place finish at the World Championships in Dublin last month indicated that the track standard was clearly within her reach.
As well as a significant improvement of her previous personal best of 33.05.5, it makes her the fourth-fastest Irish woman over the distance, behind Sonia O'Sullivan, Catherina McKiernan and Breda Dennehy-Willis.
The race was won by Romania's Mihaela Botezan in 31.19.74, well clear of Fernanda Ribeiro of Portugal in second (31.40.80). Unfortunately, Ireland's Rosemary Ryan just missed out on the qualifying time for Munich by finishing ninth in 32.32.36. That would have been inside the official European standard of 33.20, but the AAI toughened their standard to 32.30 - though she may yet gain selection.
Peter Mathews had his eye on the men's standard of 28.20.0 but was well outside his quest when finishing 19th in 29.36.40. Victory there went to Dieter Baumann of Germany in 27.38.51 - now aged 37 but continuing his impressive return from allegations of a doping offence.
For Sonia O'Sullivan, the road to Munich suffered a minor bump in California on Sunday when she finished a tired seventh in the Carlsbad 5km road race. Though it was not too surprising considering it was her third successive weekend of racing after the World Cross Country and then victory in the Balmoral road race.
It was a race dominated by America's Deena Drossin, who clocked a world best of 14.54. Drossin, who finished runner-up to Paula Radcliffe in Leopardstown, improved the 14.57 set by the British athlete in London last September.
O'Sullivan clocked 15.38, behind three Ethiopians, the other top American, Colleen de Reuck, and Canada's Kathy Butler. The Irish athlete is now planning on a period of altitude training in the US as part of her preparations for the track season.
