 Catherina McKiernan may make another attempt at the marathon |
Four-times World Cross Country runner-up Catherina McKiernan has ruled herself out of this year's Olympics. McKiernan had planned to make a last-ditch attempt at achieving the 10,000m qualifying time in Gateshead on Sunday.
However, the Cavan athlete has said that her current level of fitness means she would be unlikely to better the standard of 31:45.00.
"The times in training just weren't adding up to what I needed," said the 34-year-old Irishwoman.
After several injury-affected years, the former London Marathon winner returned to cross country and road racing action last season but her last outing on the track was back in 1996.
Her 10,000m personal best of 31:08.41 from 1995 is well inside the Athens mark but McKiernan feels she is some way off that kind of form.
Despite her latest disappointment, the two-times Olympic intends to continue her career for a couple more seasons and she may make another attempt at the marathon.
MMIX
E-mail this to a friend 
Printable version 
The defining images
