Africans set to dominate

ATHLETICS/Belfast International:As a setting for a cross-country race Stormont Estate is hard to beat. Unfortunately this afternoon's Belfast International hasn't quite attracted the Irish interest of other years. The event celebrates its 30th anniversary, but the chances of a home win in either of the senior races are slim as the visiting Africans are expected to dominate.

In the past the likes of Paula Radcliffe, Steve Cram, Steve Ovett, John Treacy, Liz McColgan, and Catherina McKiernan were frequent starters.

There was hope of some Irish excitement this time when Fionnuala Britton committed to the event, after her excellent run at the European Cross Country in Italy on December 10th, where she collected silver in the under-23 race.

The organisers even went about spicing up the women's race by including the woman who narrowly beat Britton in Italy, Turkey's Binnaz Uslu, but earlier this week Britton withdrew because of exams at DCU and her commitment to the Edinburgh Cross Country next Saturday.

Still, the international aspect is strong, the women's elite field including Ethiopia's Etalemahu Kidane, who is going for a hat-trick of victories. Kidane was 13th in the World Cross Country last year and is a former junior bronze medallist.

Also starting will be her Ethiopian compatriot Teyiba Erkesso, winner of the recent Brussels Cross Cup, and the Kenyan Mary Neugi-Wacera.

Ireland's Mary Cullen ran well in Belfast last year to finish fourth and, after a disappointing 14th place at the European Cross Country, looks certain to be the first Irish finisher.

On the men's side, it's left to Dublin's Mark Kenneally and Vinny Mulvey and Donegal's Gary Murray to challenge a strong African presence that includes Ethiopia's emerging star Ibrahim Jeylan and Moses Kipsiro of Uganda.

Jeylan, the world junior and Ethiopian 10,000-metre champion, caused a sensation in Brussels last August when he ran 27:02.81; the fourth-best time in the world last year, and an Ethiopian junior and world youth record.

The senior women's race (5.6km) starts at 2.10pm. The senior men race over 9km, starting at 2.45pm.