ORGANIZERS OF THE 61st.CORK CITY SPORTS TO BE HELD ON 17th.JULY HAVE REVERTED TO THE TRADITIONAL LINEAR DISTANCE OF ONE MILE INSTEAD OF THE MORE STANDARD 1500M DISTANCE WHICH FEATURES ON MANY OF THE CURRENT INTERNATIONAL TRACK AND FIELD PROGRAMMES..

AS THIS YEAR’S SPORTS ARE STRATEGICALLY POSITIONED JUST TWO WEEKS PRIOR TO THE LONDON OLYMPIC GAMES, ALL OLYMPIC TEAMS WILL HAVE BEEN SELECTED BY THEN AND THE NEED TO ATTAIN QUALIFICATION TIMES WILL NOT APPLY BY MID-JULY..THOSE SELELECTED FOR LONDON WILL BE FINE TUNING THEIR COMPETITIVE TACTICS AND SOME WHO MISSED OUT ON QUALIFICATION WILL BE SEEKING FAST TIMES AND WINNING PERFORMANCES BY WAY OF COMPENSATION.

THE FOUR LAP EVENT SO POPULAR IN CORK TWENTY TO THIRTY YEARS AGO FEATURED IN THAT PERIOD SUCH LEGENDS OF THE TRACK AS OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALLISTS JOHN WALKER, STEVE OVETT, WORLD CHAMPIONS,EAMONN COGHLAN, STEVE CRAM, MARCUS O’SULLIVAN, THE LIST IS ENDLESS, AND THE CORK MEETING RECORD IS A SPECTACULAR 3;49.44 SET BY THE GREAT SIDNEY MAREE (USA). IN 1982..

A TOP CLASS FIELD IS BEEN ASSEMBLED FOR THIS YEAR’S CORK MILE INCLUDING AUSTRALIANS RYAN GREGSON, A 3;52 PERFORMER , JEFF RISELEY WHO HAS RUN 3;51 AND BRITAIN’S ANDY BADDELEY WITH A 3;49.38 PERSONAL BEST.

POPULAR CORKMAN CIARAN O’LIONAIRD, RETURNING FROM RECENT INJURY PROBLEMS WILL WELCOME THE OPPORTUNITY TO TEST HIMSELF IN THIS COMPANY AS HE WINDS DOWN TO HIS MUCH ANTICIPATED OLYMPIC DEBUT FOLLOWING ON FROM HIS HIGHLY ACCLAIMED PERFORMANCES AT LAST YEAR’S WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS IN KOREA WHERE HE MADE THE FINAL.OF THE 1500M. A VOCAL HOME FOLLOWING COULD WELL INSPIRE THE MACROOM NATIVE TO SOMETHING REALLY SPECIAL.

FORMER 15OOM WINNER IN CORK, DAVID CAMPBELL AND IN FORM PAUL ROBINSON WILL ALSO KEEP THE IRISH FLAG FLYING AND OTHER TOP ATHLETES SCHEDULED TO COMPETE ARE RUSSELL BROWN, BRIAN GAGNON FROM THE USA, JON RANKIN (CAYMAN ISLANDS), ROSS MURRAY FROM ENGLAND, PETER VAN DER WESTHUIZEN (SOUTH AFRICA) AND CANADA’S TAYLOR MILNE.