Athletics News round-up: A low-key 3,000 metres in Bangor on Friday night has been targeted by Sonia O'Sullivan as the next attempt to turn her season around in time for the World Championships in Paris in just over three weeks' time.
The race was added to the North Down International Games at O'Sullivan's request, primarily to facilitate her desire for a winning performance, and thus get a confidence boost after a series of disappointing runs.
O'Sullivan's most recent outing, a 1,500 metres in Madrid last Saturday week, saw her finish second last in what was probably her slowest time ever for the distance. She is spending this week in Limerick getting treatment from physio Gerard Hartmann, and for now is still intent ochallenging for gold over 5,000 metres in Paris.
The organisers of the meeting, which is in its third year and takes place at the Bangor Sportsplex, were pleasantly surprised when O'Sullivan requested the race through her partner Nic Bideau, who contacted the event's international promoter Andy Norman. The 3,000 metres was not part of the original schedule, and while a field will be assembled before Friday, it will be far from world-class one.
O'Sullivan's only high-class 5,000 metres before Paris is planned for London on August 8th, and the performance in that race remains the most crucial in her decision on whether to travel to Paris. She has also committed to the National Championships in Santry that same weekend, where she is set to run the 1,500 metres.
A new sponsorship from Woodies DIY was announced yesterday for those championships, which will also benefit from an hour's live TV coverage on RTÉ from 1 p.m. on the Sunday.
The Irish team for Paris will be announced immediately after the championships, but it now seems highly unlikely Alistair Cragg will be a part of it. The South-African-born athlete, who declared for Ireland last year, enjoyed a hugely rewarding collegiate season in the US while running for the University of Arkansas but has been struggling with a hip injury in recent weeks.
Cragg still plans to come to Ireland in the coming weeks, but will require treatment on the injury.
Kenya's Lornah Kiplagat has obtained Dutch nationality and will represent the Netherlands at next month's world championships in Paris, her Dutch husband Pieter Langerhorst said yesterday.
Kiplagat won the Osaka International Marathon last year and the Amsterdam Marathon in 1999. The 29-year-old will run in the 10,000 metres in Paris.
Jonathan Edwards, Kelly Holmes and Mark Lewis-Francis have been named in Britain's team for the World Championships. Edwards gets an automatic place after his triple jump gold in Canada two years ago.
