Atlanta the goal as qualification battle hots up

THE start of a new month brings a new and more urgent, perspective to those still chasing qualification standards for the Olympic Games. And the chase continues the cut off date of July 16th is now less than six weeks away.

To that end, Ireland will have a squad in action in Riga tomorrow, with Gary Ryan of Nenagh hopeful that he can shave two hundredths of a second off his personal best to meet the standard for the 100 metres in Atlanta.

Ryan has surprised many with the quality of his running this sea, son. Last Sunday, in Ljubljana, he reduced Derek O'Connor's Irish 100 metres records which had stood for some 13 years, to 10.56 seconds.

And just prove that that performance was no fluke, he later followed Britain's Darren Braithwaite home over 200 metres with his time for the longer distance, a gain, just outside the necessary standard.

So the man from Kilcommon deep in Tipperary's hurling country travels once more, only this time armed more with confidence than with hope that the elusive mark can be attained, and he can become the first Irishman to line up in the sprints at an Olympics for more than 66 years.

Daniel Caulfield is another athlete who has shown something like his best form lately. The Roscommon man was in South Africa earlier in the year but was way below his best. However, since returning to Ireland he has displayed something like the grits that brought him a famous victory at Cork City Sports last year. But he will still need to improve his best time this season by more than a second.

Consistancy could hardly have been counted among Mark Mandy's high jumping attributes last season, with his performances varying greatly, and the weather not always to blame.

This season, regardless of the conditions, he has shown commendable consistency and has notched up two impressive victories in recent weeks.

And he, too, will be anxious to continue the upsurge in his fortunes by rewriting his own Irish record.

Mark Carroll will be in action in St Denis on Monday over the distance he will contest in Atlanta the 5,000 metres but Niall Bruton, who was also scheduled to compete there at 1,500 metres, will instead run in Rome. Bruton, like Carroll, has only one track session under his belt since returning home to Ireland and with the aim of having another good workout today, has decided to defer his racing by two days.

Nearer home, David Matthews will assist his club, UCD, at the National Relays in Tullamore tomorrow, where those who hanker after their youth will attempt to prove that the passing years have diminished neither their talent, nor their competitive edge, with the Veterans' championships also due to be decided.

Matthews was due to compete in Bratislava last Thursday, but, for the second time within a week, he finds himself having to change his plans. Last week he was due to compete in Ljubljana, but instead finished second behind Laban Rotiche of Kenya in Cardiff in his fastest time of the season. Tomorrow however he will turn his attention to repaying UCD for the investment that they're placed in him by running in both three by 800 metres and four by 400 metres events.

Dundrum South Dublin with Derek O'Connor in their squad would appear to offer the sternest test for UCD, with the northern clubs, Ballymena and Antrim, Sparta and Finn Valley, certain to be involved in the battle for the top honours.

Tullamore will be the busiest stadium over the weekend with the Nestle Irish Schools being decided today. Close to 100 events will be keenly contested as the aspiring stars of the future display their talent.

The senior boys 1,500 metres usually one of the last track events on the programme, looks to be one of the contests of the day. Alan Dunleavy of Blackrock now back to his best, will face tough opposition from Garreth Turnball from St Malachys, Belfast, with Turnball's turn of speed over the latter part of the race perhaps the decisive factor but, Andrew Walker should not be discounted.

Robert Daly, who competed at senior level for Ireland last week, will face strong opposition in the sprints, with Darren Hough and Jonathon Davis attempting to deprive him of a double.

In the field, John Thompson will be hoping that intimate knowledge of the arena will inspire him in his attempt to erase the long standing hammer record. Damien McDaid, Sean Breathnach and Derek Hayes will battle it out in the javelin. The action starts at 9.00 am and continues without stopping until 6.00 p.m.