Lost shoe can't stop Bekele

On Sunday March 30th in the World cross-country championshipss at Holyrood Park, Edinburgh, an Ethiopian athlete named Kenenisa Bekele became the greatest cross-country athlete ever.

The background of the small 25 year old is that he had previously won the event five times, equalling the record of the great Kenyans Paul Tergat and John Ngugi. The scene was therefore set.

And what do you think happens? He loses a shoe when driving a relentless pace at the front with fellow countrymen, Eritreans, Ugandans and Kenyans, loses 40 places having stopped to put the shoe on.

You think its all over, he simply cannot regain his position at this pace. But back he comes with a sensible reaction. Fortunately for him it's only five minutes into the 12k race. And yes he goes on to win to a tremendous reception.

The fifty or sixty Donegal supporters present will never forget this day. 34 minutes 38 seconds of pure drama provided by East African athletes.

Into this cauldron of world sport came Ian Ward, an 18 year old Liscooley lad into the junior under 20 event. This is an event that has challenged the best Irish and Europeans.

On this outing Ian finished 96th and the experience will be invaluable as he learns and builds towards another day when he returns better prepared as a result of this baptism of fire.

He can take heart from the performance of English athlete David Forrester 87th last year a tremendous 24th this time. So it's all about what you learn and how you evaluate it and ultimately what you do about it.

And so it will be remembered by local athletic enthusiasts for two very different reasons the debut on the world stage of a local lad and the day Bekele was a shoe in for the world title.

National Indoors Underage at Nenagh