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World
Cross Country Championships, Day Two
By Beth Whitney
It's day two of the World Cross Country Championships, and one is struck by the way in which the presentation of the event aspires to international class standards as befits the competition, and yet retains a sense of smallness. Yesterday a tiny youth marching band from one of the counties served to herald in the opening ceremonies. Behind them, assembled in relatively orderly fashion, were young people holding yellow signs representing each country. On the awards stand, four young girls from the local community demonstrated the step dance routines they'd been practicing, sequined skirts and long curls blowing sideways in the wind. Dublin is a world of similar dichotomies as it adjusts to new wealth and growth. Almost everyone here drives late model cars now, thanks to the upswing in jobs and salaries, and a recent switch over to the Euro currency has given vendors a chance to raise prices while the Irish people struggle with the conversions. Along with this phenomenon in the local economy known as "The Celtic Tiger" has come a nostalgia among some for the friendliness and personal touch that historically came with interactions. As one Irish athlete put it, "They don't have need for my dollar anymore." Two weeks before the event, when the course was being laid out at the Leopardstown venue, the directors of the golf course were outraged to find parts of it encroached upon their greens and were concerned that the event would end up destroying their property. The event came very close to being barred from using the location with only days until the athletes were to fly in. An agreement was finally reached that restricted all access to the course save for small designated areas for athletes and spectators. Being so far separated from everyone else meant the athletes often felt as though they were in a holding pen before their races. Earlier in the week a radio interview is staged at an old cinder track in Carlow. Geraldine Hendricken, a member of the Irish women's long course team, is there to help bring attention to her club's fundraising drive to finally purchase a real track. As the local politicians mill around the edge of the media circle hoping for some air time and the sunlight ebbs, a group of 30 young runners begin their warm-up and stretching routines under the watchful eyes of three coaches. The track team's clubhouse is an old metal horse trailer, its interior plastered with news clippings and competition schedules. After the old club house burned down and there was not enough money to build a new one this makeshift structure became the athletic hub for a club that counts a world class sprinter, a world class race walker, and a world class distance runner in its ranks. All of the media attention here has focused on Sonia O'Sullivan's bid to return to form shortly after childbirth and capture a gold medal at the Championships. All of the televisions at the pubs offer periodic updates and coverage of their national heroine. O'Sullivan has decided not to stay at the hotel with the rest of the Irish team, instead focusing on keeping to her normal routine. This reporter missed the women's short course race (won by Edith Masai of Kenya) due to transportation problems. Arriving at the parking lot for the event, the crowds were pouring out of the stadium, obviously having come only to watch their icon, Sonia, run. O'Sullivan finished an impressive seventh. Just as impressive was Suzy Hamilton's fifth place position. Werknesh Kidane from Ethiopia was second, with the early leader, Isabella Ochichi of Kenya in third. After the first lap of the men's race, led by Kenenisa Bekele, who had won the short course the day before, and John Yuda from Tanzania (who would eventually end up second), it was thrilling to see Americans Abdi Abdirahman (11th) and Meb Keflezeighi (14th) so far up in the field. They appeared to be working together throughout the race. Dathan Riztenhein (24th) also put on an impressive show of not being cowed by the calibre of competition and breadth of international experience among his competitors, pushing throughout. The U.S. men's team finished a solid fifth, thanks largely to these gutsy performances. The crowd for the men's races was estimated to be 5,000 people, with 2,000 leaving shortly after the women's event. The fact that so many people without any casual interest in running would show up just to see Sonia run is a testament to her celebrity status here. On the drive back to the hotel on the busy N11, her familiar figure was spotted running down the grassy median separating the four lane highway, passengers in other cars oblivious to her smooth stride and upright carriage. The banquet after the race featured Celtic music complete with a laser show and Riverdance style performances on stage. Athletes from all over the world clogged the dance floor so tightly that Deena Drossin was easily passed overhead along fingertips at one point. Cha-cha lines spontaneously broke out and some of the athletes from the African countries demonstrated a twist on the limbo to Mary J. Blige. When the dancing ended at midnight, most of the athletes headed out to Copper Face Jacks for more dancing well into the night. The next
morning in the hotel lobby there were many bleary eyes, coupled with
looks of contented satisfaction, for having participated in such a difficult
and worthwhile endeavour. The athletes awaited their rides back to the
airport and their flights away from Dublin to their homes, next training
location, or next race. Their words of goodbye and looks of conviction
said "Next year. I will be back again next year." Beth Whitney is a new media art director and working fine artist/sculptor by trade. Despite not picking up running until after college, she is also an elite marathoner.
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