Radcliffe opts out

Sports Digest ATHLETICS: World marathon record holder Paula Radcliffe will not take part in the World Cross Country Championships this month to concentrate on the London Marathon on April 17th.

A statement from the British governing body UK Athletics said the twice long distance champion had decided not to compete in the championships in St Etienne, France, on March 19th-20th.

Meanwhile, Britain's double Olympic champion Kelly Holmes is hoping to make a comeback in June after a hamstring injury forced her to pull out of the European Indoor Championships last week. Holmes, who won the 800 and 1,500 metres at the Athens Games last year, said she would spend six weeks training in South Africa to get fit for the rest of season ahead of the World Championships in Helsinki in August.

SCHOOLS HOCKEY: Just a week after the school's senior team won the Leinster Cup for the first time since 1978 Alexandra College's junior A side, most of whom were on last season's minor winning team, won its cup final at Grange Road yesterday, beating Muckross Park 2-1, reports Mary Hannigan.

Katie O'Byrne and Elisabeth McInerney, a substitute for the seniors last week, put Alexandra 2-0 up before Muckross pulled a late goal back through Anna O'Flanagan.

LEINSTER SCHOOLS CUP FINALS (at Grange Road): Junior D: Mount Anville D 1, Mount Anville E 0. Junior A: Alexandra College 2 (K O'Byrne, E McInerney), Muckross Park 1 (A O'Flanagan). Senior II: Loreto Beaufort 0, Loreto Foxrock 3.

TODAY: Minor B: Mount Anville v Muckross Park, 12.0; Junior B: Loreto Beaufort v Saint Joseph of Cluny, 2.0; Senior I: Rathdown v Dundalk Grammar School, 4.0.

GOLF: Six-times winner Jack Nicklaus says the chances are "slim" he will play in next month's US Masters because of a family death last week. Nicklaus (65), told reporters at a news conference in Jupiter, Florida, he wanted to spend more time with his son Steve and daughter-in-law Krista, who are coping with the loss of their baby son last week. Seventeen-month-old Jake drowned in a hot tub last Tuesday.

Nicklaus added he was planning to play in his final British Open at St Andrews in July with Steve as his caddie. He doubted, though, his game would be ready for the Masters on April 7th to 10th.