Posted: February 7, 2005

Athletics: Cragg To Lead Irish Squad At European Indoor Championships

From David Monti

(c) 2004 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved RaceResultsWeekly.com

BY Bob Ramsak

Alistair Cragg, who upset double world record holder and Olympic 10,000 meter champion Kenenisa Bekele at the Reebok Boston Indoor Games on 31-Jan, will lead the Irish team at next month's European Indoor Championships, Athletics Ireland annouced today.

Cragg, the only European to qualify for last Summer's Olympic 5000m final in Athens, currently has the fastest performance in the world in the 3000 meters after his 7:39.89 win in Boston. The 24-year-old University of Arkansas graduate returns to Fayetteville this weekend where he will be among the favorites in the 3000m at the Powered by Tyson Invitational. While at Arkansas, Cragg won seven NCAA championships, and switched his allegiance from South Africa to Ireland.

Mark Carroll, the 3000 meter gold medallist at the 2000 European Indoor Championships, has yet to decide if he will compete at the 04-06-Mar competition in Madrid. Irish national team selectors have said that they will allow the 33-year-old ample time to make his final decision.

Carroll recently outdueled Alan Webb at a meeting in Boston where he clocked 7:46.50 for 3000m.