Ann Keenan-Buckley was yesterday confirmed as captain of the Irish team for the International Amateur Athletics Federation (IAAF) World Cross Country Championships in Belfast on March 27th-28th. The North Laois AC runner, who qualified for both races, will take part in the short-course event over the Barnett Demense/Queen's playing fields venue on the outskirts of the city.
As a result of Keenan-Buckley opting for the short-course event, Riocht athlete Maureen Harrington comes into the team for the longcourse race. Harrington, who came back into form after a bad run in the long-course trial, finished sixth in the short-course race on Sunday. UCC's Louise Cavanagh also comes in to the longer event for Valerie Vaughan, who withdrew her name for selection because of form.
As expected, two more names were added to the men's team for the short-course race, Cormac Smith from Dundrum South Dublin and Cian McLoughlin of Clonliffe Harriers. Smith and McLoughlin came fourth and fifth respectively in the 4.2-kilometre trial held at the Aer Lingus Sports Complex in Dublin on Sunday which was won by Paolo Doglio, an Italian athlete of Irish ancestry. Mullingar's Cormac Finnerty, Belfast's Brian Treacy and European 5,000 metres bronze medallist Mark Carroll from Leevale make up the short-course team.
In the men's longer event Leevale's Cathal Lombard replaces UCD's Peter Matthews, who did not run in the Donegal trial and has not since shown full fitness.
The championships are free to the public and there will be a free shuttle bus service to ferry people out to the meeting from Belfast city centre.
SHORT COURSE - Women: E Fitzgerald (Waterford); A Kennan Buckley (North Laois), U English (DCH), N Beirne (Lucan Harriers), M Murphy (Liffey Valley), B Dennehy (Bandon).
Men: P Doglio (Cus Torino), C Finnerty (Mullingar Harriers), B Treacy (Annadale Striders), C Smith (DSD), C McLoughlin (Clonliffe Harriers), M Carroll (Leevale).
LONG COURSE - Women: M Harrington (Riocht), T Duffy (Beechmount), R Ryan (Limerick), L Cavanagh (UCC), H Crossan (Finn Valley), M McMahon (Marian). Men: J Ferrin (North Belfast), N Cullen (Clonliffe), M McCarthy (Leevale), D Burke (Mullingar), D Donnelly (Annadale), C Lombard (Leevale). JUNIOR - women: C Daly (East Cork), A M Larkin (UCD), M Cullen (North Sligo), A Byrne (DSD), D Byrne (Fr Murphy's), C Broe (Brehon). Men: G Murray (Finn Valley), J McAllister (St Malachy's), S Ward (Finn Valley), F Feeney (North Sligo), N Cavanagh (Brehon), B Keane (Leevale).
Olympics: The IOC executive board has backed down on plans to strip the membership of their right to vote over who should host the Olympics. It has been decided that it would be done by a special 13-strong group but more than 40 members have made it clear that they would never accept this.
"Our latest thinking is a selection college that will reduce the nu,ber of bidding cities down to two and then the members will decide the winner," said IOC vice-president Dick Pound.
Hockey: Loreto Abbey Dalkey captain Kate Dillon capped a wonderful midfield display for her team in yesterday's Esat Digiphone-sponsored Leinster Schools' hockey Minor League final by scoring the only goal of the game in extra time against Mount Anville.
Dillon's team dominated much of the match at Grange Road and but for a defiant defensive display by Mount Anville, for whom goalkeeper Johanna Simpson, Rachel Copeland and Sophie Farivarz excelled, would have had a more comfortable victory. But the Dalkey attack of Beth Maguire, Susie Cunningham and Karen Morrissey gave Mount Anville a torrid afternoon while Michelle Spillane and Emma Smith in midfield were also outstanding. The winning goal came two minutes in to the first period of extra time when a superb run by Smith won her side a short corner and when her shot was blocked, Dillon was first to the rebound.
LORETO ABBEY DALKEY: R Conlon, P Grehan, M McCarthy, M Kernan, M Spillane, E Smith, K Dillon (capt), C O'Brien, B Maguire, S Cunningham, K Morrissey. Substitute: F Healy.
MOUNT ANVILLE: J Simpson, R Copeland, A Tierney (capt), S Farivarz, A McKeating, S Geoghegan, K O'Donnell, J Davis, C Quinlan, C Sexton, L Steen. Substitute: J Dooley.
Umpires: F Brehony and S Lacey.
:quality(70)/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/YVIRIOZQ35EWRPZXR27KGMO6YU.png)