Athletics: Former marathon record holder Steve Jones once said that all top athletes are one hamstring injury away from oblivion. For Paul McKee that sums up perfectly the past 12 months: from World Indoor bronze medallist over 400 metres to almost forgotten.
Athletics Ireland yesterday announced a team of nine athletes for the World Indoor Championships in Budapest, which are staged over a tight, three-day schedule from March 5th. McKee's absence from that team wasn't entirely unexpected, but it shows how a single injury can quickly erase years of carefully planned progression. Instead of being a certainty on the Irish team, McKee wasn't even considered.
It's been some reversal of fortune. This time last year McKee went to the World Indoors in Birmingham with an outside chance of making the final, and came home with the bronze medal and an Irish record of 45.99 seconds. At the age of 26 he had firmly announced his arrival on the world stage.
Within weeks, though, things were starting to go wrong. A hamstring injury picked up in May curtailed his entire outdoor season, and despite repeated treatment over the winter the problem just hasn't gone away. The best he could run indoors this season was 47.62, and he didn't even risk another 400 metres at the National Indoors in Belfast last weekend. He tested himself over 60 metres, and afterwards admitted that this year's World Indoors just weren't going to happen.
"In the past week or two it began to sink in," he said. "I've had this problem since last May, and while it would sometimes go away, it always came back within a day or two. It has been very, very frustrating."
The only positive note to McKee's story is that he is now confident he has got to the core of his injury problem, and the pain in the hamstring was in fact stemming from a nerve problem in his back. He'll see a specialist in London this week, hoping that an injection will soon have him running pain-free again.
"I'm not the first athlete to have this sort of nerve problem," he added, "and in most cases the injection has been a success. In two or three weeks I can get back to full training, and then I have three months to get ready for a shot at the Olympic qualifying time. So the timing is not all that bad."
While McKee's absence from the 400 metres is unfortunate, the unprecedented strength of the event in Ireland means the two athletes who are named for Budapest are capable of making the final. David McCarthy of Celbridge was a finalist last year in Birmingham, and Rob Daly of Dundrum, who has run 46.68, is coming into the form of his life.
The sprinters, in fact, dominate the Irish team, with only James Nolan in the 1,500 metres and Maria McCambridge in the 3,000 metres carrying the middle distance hopes. Nolan arrived back from his winter training base in South Africa on Monday and will tune-up for Budapest at the Birmingham Indoor Grand Prix on Friday night.
In the end, little debate was needed to decide the men's 200 metre representatives. Paul Brizzel was a certainty after his 20.98 clocking this season, and he is joined by Galway youngster Paul Hession, who has clocked 21.01.
Gary Ryan was also in contention with some decent runs outdoors in Australia, but might yet be named in the 60 metres - pending confirmation on his interest in that event - as the final deadline for entries is next Tuesday.
Completing the team is Ciara Sheehy over 200 metres, and Karen Shinkins and Joanne Cuddihy in the 400 metres. US-based Marie Davenport last weekend clocked the necessary time over 3,000 metres but has also yet to confirm her interest in Budapest, while Peter Coghlan has one last shot of getting the time for the 60 metre hurdles when he runs in Kansas this weekend.
There are two notable absentees in Alistair Cragg and Derval O'Rourke. For Cragg, who is the fourth fastest in the world over 3,000 metres, the US Collegiate championships on March 12th-13th take priority, while O'Rourke has decided to bypass her spot in the 60 metre hurdles and concentrate on her preparations for the outdoor season.
IRISH TEAM (World Indoor Championships, March 5th-7th): Men - 200m: Paul Brizzel (Ballymena and Antrim), Paul Hession (Athenry); 400m: David McCarthy (Celbridge), Rod Daly (Dundrum South Dublin); 1,500m: James Nolan (UCD). Women - 200m: Ciara Sheehy (Dublin City Harriers); 400m: Karen Shinkins (Dublin City Harriers), Joanne Cuddihy (Kilkenny City Harriers); 3,000m: Maria McCambridge (Dundrum South Dublin).
