Catherina McKiernan will be one of the athletes considered for selection when Ireland's team for the Europa Cup assignment in Finland on June 5th and 6th is chosen tomorrow.
McKiernan hasn't competed in a track race since deciding to concentrate on road running two years ago and will thus be surprised to discover that she is now in contention for the 5,000 metres nomination.
Additionally, McKiernan is short of racing fitness. Although she recently returned to full training after a foot injury, she has run only once since winning the Amsterdam Marathon on November 1st, so her selection would be a major gamble.
McKiernan has been at odds with BLE since they refused to select her for the World Half Marathon Championship at Zurich last year and before injury intervened intimated that she would not be available for selection for the World Cross Country Championships in Belfast.
In those circumstances, her selection for Finland would be risky, but in the absence of Sonia O'Sullivan the selectors are looking to all the experience they can muster in the hope of protecting their division one status in the European competition.
Susan Smith will travel from the United States to compete in either the 100 or 400 metres hurdles events. Also reassuring is that Nick Sweeney, beset by injury for much of the last two years, is returning home to give Ireland a winning chance in the men's discus competition.
Tom McGuirk, capable of running any one of three events, has also indicated his availability for selection, but as yet there is some doubt if Mark Carroll, the European Championship 5,000 metres bronze medallist last summer, will be in the team.
Elsewhere, there are still many places up for competition, investing tomorrow's George V RyanLouis Vandendries meeting, organised by Crusaders AC at the Morton Stadium, with an added element of urgency.
Among the highlights will be the men's 800 metres in which James McElroy, prevented by a cold from taking on David Matthews last Sunday, makes his seasonal debut. With an imposing depth in talent at this distance the selectors are spoiled for choice, but it will still be a surprise if the Belfast man, fourth in the European Championships, fails to copperfasten his place in the national team.
Karen Shinkins, another who impressed in the European tests at Budapest, will be hoping to run close to her Irish record of 52.13 seconds in the women's 400 metres and there will also be keen interest in the reappearance of Patricia Amond-Lawler in the 200 metres.
One of the most consistent athletes in domestic competition in other years, she is on course for a meeting with the talented West Dublin athlete Ciara Sheehy who has already produced a couple of outstanding runs this year.
