ATHLETICS: Another remarkable performance by Anne Keenan-Buckley in Saturday's Belfast International Cross Country has further increased the prospects of more Irish medal success when the World Championships are staged in Lausanne later in the season.

A year ago at Leopardstown, Keenan-Buckley turned back the clock to take 10th place in the world, also helping the Irish women's team to take bronze. Her fifth-place finish in Belfast, coming in the week of her 41st birthday, signalled an even more productive season in 2003.

The Laois athlete comfortably mixed the pace with some of the world's very best over the firm, fast course around Stormont Estate. Only in the second half of the 5km race did Ethiopia's world silver medallist Werknesh Kidane break away for victory but Keenan-Buckley, who finished less than 30 seconds behind, still had several world-class athletes in her wake.

Afterwards she admitted she could realistically target another team medal at the World Championships in late March.

"I think medals are very much on again," she said. "We will have to think hard about whether to go for the long- or short-course race and we'll have to see what form everyone is in. But we're not just depending on four or five athletes. We have at least eight athletes there that can make those four places, and that's what makes the team chances so strong."

Irish team manager Jerry Kiernan has hinted his preference for the women's team to concentrate on the short-course race like last year, but the final decision is likely to hinge on the participation of Sonia O'Sullivan and the distance she chooses to target.

Maria McCambridge, who is likely to be another key member of the Irish team, found the pace in Belfast a little too severe and despite running with the leaders early on she finished in 16th place - the next best Irish finisher.

For Keenan-Buckley, however, the age factor shouldn't come into any debate about the state of women's distance running in Ireland.

"Well I feel women's distance running in Ireland is the strongest it's ever been," she said. "The depth is definitely there, and third place in the world last year proved that.

"I suppose it's unfortunate I'm at the age I am now, so some people are probably thinking it must be going bad. But it's not. I know the level I'm at, and if did the same training as I'm doing now say 10 or 15 years ago I know I would have been world-class level back then as well."

The simple fact is that her cross-country performances of recent years are now firmly in the world-class bracket.

"Well of course I do the hard training," she added, "but I just make sure I run hard in races and that's what it's all about. I still don't consider myself a full-time athlete. I don't train twice a day like full-time athletes do every day. With the family you always have to be realistic, and know where the energy is going."

With another two months of training before the World Championships she is already looking forward to the prospect of another top-10 finish. She may race once more before the National Championships on March 2nd, but after Saturday's performance there is clearly enough evidence the season is progressing to plan.

Irish interest in the men's 8km race in Belfast was unfortunately minimal, although local athlete Dermot Donnelly did well to take eighth place after a couple of frustrating seasons with injury. The triple European champion, Sergey Lebid of the Ukraine, delivered his trademark surge over the closing stages to secure the victory from Ethiopia's latest talent, Gebre Gebremariam, and Kenya's Daniel Gachara.

The junior men's race, meanwhile, provided Mullingar's Mark Christie with a well-timed present as he took the victory just 24 hours before he turned 18. He had too much closing speed for England's Ryan McLeod, and will now build his season towards the National Championships in March.