Trials to go ahead at ALSAA

ATHLETICS: Ireland have confirmed that Sunday's short course trials for the World Cross Country championships will go ahead at the ALSAA course next to Dublin airport.

Over the last couple days there were doubts over the suitability of the course, which last Sunday week hosted the long course trials in atrociously muddy conditions. Sonia O'Sullivan is using the race as her final test of form before committing to the World Championships in Leopardstown (March 23-34th), and team manager Jerry Kiernan was concerned that an excessively muddy course would prevent her from assessing her true fitness.

"The course has now dried up considerably," said Liam Hennessy, press officer for the world championships. "We will also be changing the start and finish area onto virgin ground and we are confident that overall the course will be in good shape."

The full Irish teams for Leopardstown will be named after Sunday's trials (the women start at 2 p.m. and the men at 2.20 p.m.) and although O'Sullivan has been pre-selected, a final decision on her participation at the championships will be made after her race.

The best of the senior women have already decided to target the short course race in Leopardstown, and US based Breda Dennehy-Willis has put herself in a strong position for selection after running 15 minutes 36.62 seconds for 5,000 metres in Florida last weekend.

It was also confirmed yesterday that O'Sullivan will compete in the Balmoral five-mile road race, which takes place at the Scottish estate on Easter Saturday, March 30th - just six days after Leopardstown.

Another confirmed starter is her Romanian rival Gabriela Szabo. It will be the second meeting between the two since the Olympic 5,000 metre final in Sydney, where Szabo took gold ahead of O'Sullivan's silver. Both athletes met in Lisbon over 3,000 metres at the world indoor championships last year but O'Sullivan's over-ambitious attempts at a 1,500-3,000 double spoiled an honest duel.

Meanwhile, the climax of the Irish schools cross country season takes place this Saturday, with the Kit Kat All-Ireland finals in Tinryland, Carlow.

SKIING: Winter Olympic slalom bronze medallist Alain Baxter was told by a British International Olympic Committee (IOC) advisor yesterday that it was his duty to "check, check and double check" any medication he may have taken.

On Tuesday it was revealed that the Scot (28), had tested positive for banned substance methamphetamine, a drug best known for its recreational rather than performance-enhancing effects.

However, the IOC use a "strict liability" rule which means that even if an athlete has taken drugs inadvertently that is not enough to escape punishment.

IOC advisor Dick Palmer said: "There is no question that it is the athlete's responsibility for what he takes inside him. Athletes are warned, and the doctors of their governing bodies are warned that this is the name of the game.They have to check, check and double check anything they take orally."

Baxter has not yet outlined his defence. A decision on the date of his hearing with the IOC's medical panel is expected by the end of the week.