Morceli to head line-up in Cork

The World record-holder Noureddine Morceli is a confirmed starter in the 1,500 metres at the Cork City Sports on Saturday week. The Olympic and three-time world champion from Algeria will be a huge boost to the meeting, which promises to be the best in the country for many years.

Chairman Dick Hodgins said Morceli's manager and brother, Abderahmane, contacted the meeting organisers to express an interest in a world-record attempt in Cork. "We made initial contact last October but received confirmation last week from their base in Colorado that Morceli will run," said Hodgins. "He wanted a fast race and we have a fast track. Even with the restrictions of our budget, he expressed a strong commitment to running in Cork."

Morceli will be accompanied by three top-class Algerian runners to ensure a serious attack on his record of three minutes 27.37 seconds, which he set three years ago. Morceli also holds the world record for the mile and 2,000m and has been the top 1,500m runner in the world for the past eight years.

Marcus O'Sullivan will run for the last time in Ireland in the same race and this played a part in the appearance of Morceli. O'Sullivan had a major role in the pace-making duties in several of his records and the Algerian is good friends with O'Sullivan.

With Sonia O'Sullivan already promising to attack the world record for two miles, the Cork meeting is certain to provide an afternoon of quality athletics.

Susan Smith will run the 100m hurdles and 400m hurdles and James Nolan, Niall Bruton and Shane Healy will run in the 1500m. Irish record-holder David Matthews will take on a strong 800m field that will feature several Kenyan and Algerian runners.

The 800m will also include James McElroy, won ran a personal best and new Northern Ireland record of 1:46.07 on Sunday. It was the fastest time by an Irish athlete this season and qualified the Ballymena man for the European championships in Budapest in August.