Kelly to return for Malmo event

Keith Kelly is expected to join the Irish team for next month's European Cross Country championships in Malmo, Sweden.

The Drogheda runner, who last week won the American collegiate title, didn't compete in Sunday's National Inter-counties Championships in Dungarvan but was still given a place on the six-man Irish team.

Originally, Kelly had stated that he wouldn't be available for the European event because of academic commitments at Providence College, where he is in his final year of an athletics scholarship. He

returned to Ireland specifically to compete on Sunday, but was nursing a slight leg injury, and after consulting with the Irish coach Jerry Kiernan it was then decided that he would return to the US, work on his studies and then join the Irish team for the race in Malmo on December 10th.

It was also reckoned that competing in Dungarvan would have come too close to his effort in Ames, Iowa, the previous Monday, where Kelly became only the third Irishman to win the prestigious NCAA title.

Top place on the men's team went to Clare's Seamus Power, who had little trouble winning his sixth straight title on Sunday. Completing the team will be Peter Matthews (Dublin), Gareth Turnbull (Antrim), Fiachra Lombard and Ken Nason (both Cork). John Ferrin of Antrim has been named as the reserve.

There was also one optional place left in the women's team after Rosemary Ryan pulled out of Sunday's race because of injury. She has, however, been named to join Anne Keenan-Buckley, Maureen Harrington, Niamh Beirne and Mary Margaret Meade in Sweden. The reserve runner there is Freda Davoren from Kerry, who finished in fourth place on Sunday, and unlike the men's race, only five will run, and three will score.

The junior men's team was finalised yesterday and will be led by Thomas Frazier of Antrim, comfortable winner of the title on Sunday. Twin brother John - who finished fourth - also takes one of the five places.

Diarmuid Grant of Derry, who took second, and Paul Murphy, representing Loughborough and finishing third, will also be joined by Sligo's Mark Smith. Robert Wade from Waterford has been named as the reserve. Last year in Velenje, Slovenia, the junior team took home bronze.

Mary Cullen was equally convincing in winning the junior women's title and joining her in Sweden will be Deirdre Byrne (Wicklow), Lesley Shannon (Antrim), Lisa Colhill (Galway) and Roisin Quinn (Waterford). Derry's Michaela Lynn is the reserve.

A plaque, commemorating John C Lordan, the legendary long distance runner from Co Cork, will be unveiled in Bandon on Thursday. Lordan, born in Ballylangley, Bandon, attended the local national school in Shannon Street, before emigrating to the United States at the turn of the last century.

There, running for the Cambridgeport Gymnasium Association, he won the first Boston marathon on April 20th, 1903. The following year he competed for the US in the Olympic Games at St Louis.