Home focus is on Mardyke as McKiernan faces Oporto test

Catherina McKiernan's journey back to fitness after the problems which put her career on hold earlier in the year takes her to Oporto, Portugal, tomorrow for her second race in eight days.

McKiernan is headed for her biggest test so far when she takes on a range of international athletes over 11.6 kilometres, in a race organised by Portugal's former Olympic champion, Rosa Moto.

It will be her third consecutive attempt to corner a prize which eluded her in exasperating fashion on her previous visits. On each occasion she finished third; last year she disputed the lead for much of the race before being dropped by the Kenyan, Tecla Loroupe.

Loroupe is not among the starters on this occasion, but with Julia Vacquero of Spain heading a distinguished entry, the Irish athlete has still a lot of hard work ahead of her.

Last Sunday's win in the Dublin mini marathon was encouraging, in that it proved she had shaken off the stubborn foot injury which forced her out of the London marathon in April.

Tomorrow's race represents a significant step up in class, however, and the point has not been lost. "It was good to get a competitive run, but Sunday's race is going to be vastly different," she said.

"For one thing, there will be five or six athletes on the starting line capable of winning. And I know the course is a tough one.

"But it's another important stage in getting back my racing edge and, depending on how the race pans out in the middle stages, I'll be hoping for a good run."

McKiernan has competed just twice since an operation on an injury sustained in winning the Amsterdam marathon last November. Depending on her progress tomorrow, however, she hopes to increase her programme in the coming months with a trip to New York next month pencilled in as her next engagement.

Meanwhile, Cathy Freeman, the silver medalist in the Olympic 400 metres championship in Atlanta, will be one of the bigger attractions in today's Cork City Sports at the Mardyke.

Traditionally an evening presentation, the organisers have opted for an afternoon meeting and the hope is that the decision will be rewarded by a big attendance for one of the showpieces of the domestic season.

Freeman has yet to finalise her programme, but the likelihood is that she will run in the 200 metres. That would provide local athletes Ciara Sheehy and Emily Maher with a coveted chance of measuring their progress in competition with one of the big names on the international circuit.

There will be much interest, too, in the performance of Susan Smith-Walsh, who hopes to set a world best in the 300 metres hurdles. This a non-recognised distance for world records, but a big run would still help to raise her international profile.

Curiously, Smith-Walsh was some way below her best when competing in her specialist event, the 400 metres hurdles, during the recent Europa Cup meeting in Finland, but she bounced back immediately to finish second in the 100 metres hurdles.

That suggested the winter programme designed to sharpen her basic speed is paying off, so her progress now will be monitored with keen interest.

Among the highlights of the men's programme will be the return meeting of James McIlroy and David Matthews in the 800 metres and the promise of another highly competitive race between James Nolan and Niall Bruton in the 1,500.

And there will be a big welcome also, for high jumper Brendan Reilly who, after representing Britain in many of the major international championships over the last nine years, has switched his allegiance to Ireland.