Paulo Doglio, an Italian attached to the Torino club, will represent Ireland in the short course section of the World Cross Country Championship at Belfast in two weeks time.
Doglio, a physical therapist who qualifies for Ireland under the ancestry rule, made certain of his selection with a fine run to win yesterday's trial over 4.2 kilometres at the Aer Lingus complex in Dublin.
The Italian had never competed in Ireland until he turned up at Stranorlar last month and surprised everybody by running on into 14th place in bottomless mud in the national championship.
Now, in conditions which were much more suited to him, he skimmed across the firm terrain to win readily from Cormac Finnerty and the Madrid-based Brian Treacy in a time of 12 minutes three seconds.
Together with Mark Carroll who was pre-selected, the first three home qualified automatically for inclusion in the squad for Belfast. The other two places, which will be filled today, are likely to go to the fourth and fifth placed athletes yesterday, Cormac Smith and Clonliffe's Cian McLoughlin.
Elaine Fitzgerald justified her decision to return from Alabama for the race, with an impressive display to win the women's trial in a time of 13 minutes 33 seconds.
Una English matched strides with her for much of the journey but faded over the last 800 metres when she was passed by Anne Keenan Buckley. The latter also finished second in the long course championship at Stranorlor and must now decide on her event for Belfast.
MEN: 1, P Daglio (Torino) 12 minutes 03 seconds; 2, C Finnerty (Mullingar) 12-06: 3, B Treacy (Annadale) 12-07: 4, C Smith (DSD) 1207: 5, C McLoughlin (Clonliffe) 12-08: 6, N Brunton (Clonliffe) 12-19.
WOMEN: 1, E Fitzgerald (Waterford) 13 minutes 33 seconds: 2, A Keenan Buckley (North Laois) 13-40: 3, U English (DCH) 13-50; 4, N Beirne (Lucan) 14-16: 5, M Murphy (Liffey Valley) 14-36: 6, M Harrington (Riocht) 14-41.
