Carroll aims for positive start to year in New York

ATHLETICS News round-up: One Irish athlete determined to start the New Year on a positive footing is Mark Carroll. Tonight in New York he competes in the Central Park Midnight Run, a four-mile road race which Carroll hopes will prove his injury problems are behind him.

It will be Carroll's first appearance in the 26th edition of the race, which sets off at midnight, and whose list of previous winners includes former fellow Cork athlete Marcus O'Sullivan. Carroll is intent on joining that list.

"I want to start this year off on a good note," he says, "and I want to race a lot more. With the marathon-type training in the last couple of years, I've spent a lot of time, consecutive months, doing all this heavy mileage, and not racing. So I'd like to go back on the track a lot more next year and maybe improve again. Like I'd like to run 13:10 or under for the 5,000 metres again."

Since running the New York marathon two years ago, Carroll has been plagued by a pelvic ligament injury, which only last month he finally got properly diagnosed by the renowned Dr Hans Muller in Munich. A new course of treatment has got him back on track, and also thinking again of a marathon - possibly in London next April.

"I do still want to race shorter distances," he added, "like four-milers, five-milers, then a half-marathon and then maybe a marathon in April. I would be leaning toward a flat course, just because of the instability. I wouldn't do anything too stressful."

The favourite to win the women's title in New York tonight is Carroll's American girlfriend Amy Rudolph, whom he is due to marry next October.

Tomorrow's Tom Brennan memorial 5km road race in the Phoenix Park has taken over as the traditional opener to the new road-racing season. Another Olympian from 2004, Maria McCambridge, is among those due to start. Entries will be taken from 10 a.m. tomorrow.

Meanwhile, Athletics Ireland (AAI) have released a provisional list of 20 athletes who go into the New Year with qualifying standards for the World Championships in Helsinki. Unlike the Athens Olympics, where only A standards were accepted by the Olympic Council of Ireland, the AAI will also be accepting B standards, with the provision athletes also prove their form at the time of the championships.

Among the 11 athletes with the A standards is Roisin McGettigan, who has qualified in the women's 3,000 metres steeplechase and which will be included in the World Championships programme for the first time.

Already doubts surround the availability of 20km walker Jamie Costin, who is recovering from the serious back injury sustained in the car accident just before his event in Athens, and also veteran discus thrower Nick Sweeney, who came out of retirement in an effort to make Athens, but who had to withdraw through injury.

CURRENT IRISH QUALIFIERS FOR THE 2005 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: A standard: Sonia O'Sullivan (5,000m, 14:58.43), Maria McCambridge (5,000m, 15:05.86), Marie Davenport (10,000m 31:28.72), Valerie McGovern Young (marathon, 2:41:32), Roisin McGettigan (3,000m steeplechase, 9:45.60) Gillian O'Sullivan (20K walk, 1:28:01), Olive Loughnane (20K walk, 1:30:47), Alistair Cragg (5,000m, 13:12.74), Mark Carroll (5,000m, 13:18.75), Robert Heffernan (20K walk, 1:20:55), Adrian O'Dwyer (High Jump, 2.30); B standards: Karen Shinkins (400m, 52.15), Freda Davoren (1,500m, 4:08.16), Marie Davenport (5,000m, 15:09.07), Paul Hession (200m, 20.61), Tomás Coman (400m, 45.91), James Nolan (1,500m, 3:37.85), Peter Coghlan (110m Hurdles, 13.57), Jamie Costin (20K walk, 1:23.08), Nick Sweeney (Discus, 64.12).