McGettigan poised to make history in Helsinki

ATHLETICS/World Championships: Ian O'Riordan talks to Róisín McGettigan about her debut in the World Championships

It's with timely coincidence that Róisín McGettigan is the first Irish athlete into action when the World Championships open in Helsinki tomorrow morning. Not only is she the first Irish representative in an event being staged at World Championship level for the first time, she is also the first Irish athlete to make that event her speciality.

That the women's 3,000m steeplechase has taken so long to be included in a major championship is not entirely surprising. The women's marathon was only added at the Olympics of 1984, and the 10,000 metres four years later. But come Monday's final, the world will have its first ever women's steeplechase champion.

McGettigan goes into tomorrow's heats with some impressive credentials to her name already. Last summer she lowered the Irish record to nine minutes, 45.60 seconds, and earlier this summer won the event at the European Cup. Like most steeplechasers she came to the event from a distance running background, but with a little previous experience in hurdling to go with that.

Now aged 25, McGettigan has spent the past six years away from her home in Wicklow town attending Providence College in Rhode Island. It was there that her coach Ray Treacy first spotted her potential for the women's steeplechase, which was first introduced to athletics as part of the American collegiate competition.

"Ray just said to me on the track one day that this was an event where I could excel," explains McGettigan.

"We slowly set about working on it together and it just took off from there. When he saw the event was part of the programme for Helsinki he said that I was capable of qualifying and representing Ireland, and so far he has been spot on."

McGettigan graduated from Providence last year, ending her college career with a bronze medal in the American collegiate steeplechase - after winning three successive conference titles. Still training under Treacy - the brother of Olympic silver medallist John Treacy - she continues to work on the techniques involved in the steeplechase.

At two and a half feet in height, the barriers are slightly smaller than the men's version, yet the event is no less demanding. It requires 28 hurdles over the seven and a half laps, including seven water jumps.

"It's been hard work," adds McGettigan, "but it has also been very enjoyable. I've managed to make good progress and that's always very encouraging. I remember when I first started to run the event in the US. I've no idea what kind of times I was running, but I do know they were far slower than they are now.

"You don't really train all that differently from the other track runners in terms of basic strength work, but obviously you have to practice your hurdling and get some work at clearing the water jump.

"The water jump is the most difficult part because it's so demanding on your body, and it definitely lets you know what kind of shape you are in."

The overall standard of the event has been improving rapidly. The current world record was set last year by Russia's Gulnara Samitova, who ran 9:01.59, and it's only a matter of time before Kenyan women start taking to the event in the same way as their male counterparts.

McGettigan feels there is vast room for improvement in her own standards. She fittingly began her schoolgirl athletics career in Wicklow town as a 400-metre hurdler, but when she won the Community Games marathon run of five miles she realised her immediate potential was distance running on the flat.

"I can thank Ray for a lot of my improvement in the steeplechase because he has really worked hard with me. It does demand concentration to make sure that you get things right, but that helps to keep you alert. Once you can run fast enough in between the hurdles the times will improve. I suppose that is the secret.

"But I think in general the event is a little more relaxed that the other distance races. I know a couple of the top runners have much faster times than me, but the majority of the leading group are not that far in front, and it only takes a little improvement for me to be up there. Hopefully I can run my fastest time this weekend, but one never really knows in the steeplechase."