THE colliery village bandsmen puffed out ruddy cheeks, blasting their
brassy best, serenading the runners in County Durham's round of the
World Cross Challenge at Beamish. But Liz McColgan was hardly out of
breath, invincible yet again as she composed her own coda to the tunes
of glory which have accompanied the greatest year of her competitive
life.
A revenge win on Saturday over Olga Bondarenko, who denied her the
Olympic title in Seoul but absent when McColgan won the world crown in
Tokyo, helped reinforce Liz's incandescent conviction that in the
Barcelona 10,000 metres next summer Olympic gold will this time be hers.
The Hawkhill Harrier helped support that view over a demanding,
rhythm-sapping course -- a little longer than the advertised 5000 metres
-- by also beating Yelena Romanova, reigning European 10,000m champion,
and Kenya's Susan Sirma, outright winner of last season's World Cross
series.
McColgan's printed pronouncements often convey an arrogance never
intended in her matter-of-fact verbal delivery. This was a day in point.
''I have had harder sessions on the treadmill at home,'' she said after
having crossed the line in 18min. 24sec.
Sirma was 15 seconds down, Bondarenko a further four seconds back,
with Glasgow University's 19-year-old Hayley Haining, running her first
senior cross-country international in the UK, an outstanding fourth in
18-48. Romanova was seventh in 19-09, just one second and one place
ahead of Scotland's Laura Adam.
Even an elbow, planted accurately in her stomach by Romanova in the
opening strides, could not deflate McColgan. ''You have to fight for
your space,'' she said, demonstrating that by putting plenty of it
between herself and the rest from halfway onwards.
But if McColgan was jubilant, Bondarenko was angry. And it had nothing
to do with losing. Speaking through interpreter and agent Alex Mineyko,
she dismissed a TV commentary claim that she had not run after the birth
of her 20-month-old son, Vladimir, ''because of food shortages.'' Eyes
flashed darkly as she blazed: ''That is stupid. Like most Russian women
I fed my son myself. We do so for longer than Western European women.
That's why I was out for so long. But I'll be ready for Barcelona.''
Romanova explained her earlier absence similarly: ''My son is seven,
but I fed him for two years. As for coming back stronger after
childbirth, it may be true for Liz, but we never felt stronger. We lost
strength.''
The pair, both from Volgograd, made history by running for Russia for
the first time under the new regime, but perestroika has undermined
athletics. ''There are always food queues in Russia, but now you can
easily stand for two hours,'' said Romanova. ''The weather, with sleet,
snow, wind, and black ice, is far worse than anything your British
athletes have to contend with. We can't arrange training camps because
of lack of money, and can't go to Georgia for the sun because of the
shooting.''
Would they consider settling in the West? ''Our husbands, homes, and
children are in Russia. That's an unusual question.'' But would you?
''Niet.'' From both.
Bondarenko will, however, be happy to collect a further $5000 for
running in Belfast next weekend. But by then Liz will be in Florida:
''doing my serious training. I will not be chasing any records on the
road, although I have a half marathon in Japan on January 26. I would
not rule out a world indoor 5000m attempt at the Kelvin Hall, but that's
up to my agent to arrange.''
Fourth by vet student Haining was, said Liz: ''a great run. If I
thought Britain had a chance of winning the world cross-country in
Boston I would probably run. I'll decide later.''
Haining and twelfth-placed Vikki McPherson helped Glasgow University
to a shock team win, and they left yesterday for Barcelona with the UK
team for the Ekiden relay tomorrow.
Chris Robison, ninth, was best Scot in the men's race, won by James
Kariuki, a full brother of four-time world champion John Ngugi.
Kilbarchan's Robert Quinn, despite a stitch, was nineteenth, and is
confident of being much higher up next weekend in Belfast. Results and
Scots' placings:
Women's 5000 metres World Cross Challenge -- 1, L McColgan (Dundee
Hawkhill Harriers) 18min. 24sec.; 2, S Sirma (Kenya) 18-39; 3, O
Bondarenko (Russia) 18-43; 4, H Haining (Glasgow University) 18-48; 8, L
Adam (Stevenage and North Herts) 19-10; 12, V McPherson (Glasgow
University) 19-24; 34, E Grant (City of Glasgow) 21-36; 35, J Cliffe
(Glasgow University) 21-48; 36, A Potts (CoG) 22-34.
Men's 8000m World Cross Challenge -- 1, J Kariuki (Kenya) 24-12; 2, R
Nerurkar (Bingley) 24-30; 3, P Davies-Hale (Cannock) 24-43; 4, J Sherban
(Falkirk Victoria) 24-47; 9, C Robison (IBM Spango Valley) 24-52; 19, R
Quinn (Kilbarchan)
25-08; 26, A Puckrin (Caledon park) 25-21; 42, D Cavers (Teviotdale)
26-09; 43, J Bowman (Inverness 26-11.
Men's 3000m -- 1, D Spawforth (Wakefield) 8-20; 2, J Chesire (Kenya)
8-21; 3, M Barnes (Enfield) 8-24; 13, A Currie (Dumbarton) 8-39; 24, R
Fitzsimmons (Kilbarchan) 8-46; 26, J Garland (Edinburgh University)
8-49; 40, D Arnott (Babcock Thorn Pitreavie) 9-00; 46, G Brown (Racing
Club Edinburgh) 9-12; 49, M Marshall (Ayr Seaforth) 9-23; 51, A Kinghorn
9-27; 53, M Steele (both ESPC)
9-29.
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