Alastair Cragg

Squirrel

Alastair Cragg was nearly guaranteed to win the race so instead now I am going to praise Mark Carroll on his assistance of getting Cragg his title, Mark helped Cragg with the pace making and paid dearly for it, but ran un-selfishly, all credit is due to this man.
Now I must congratulate Cragg on a sensational victory, very well run, and very smartly run.

mike65

He's the South African born and bred fella who lives and trains in Arizona, is'nt he?

Mike.

Amz

What's your point?

ecksor

Hard to know, because he knows full well that Cragg was born in South Africa, since he made a point of posting about it last summer.

parasite

mike65 wrote:

He's the South African born and bred fella who lives and trains in Arizona, is'nt he?

Mike.

heh, yeah, the bbc commentator couldn't help but say "he was born in south africa, and hardly spends any time in ireland at all..." as he was crossing the line for the gold
miserable príck

Squirrel

Ok lads, lets not start an argument, hes South African born and bred yes, but it takes alot to declare to run for a new country. We would run for Ireland and would feel patriotic, he has to find that despite not being from here, that takes dedication. He should be considered Irish as he wants to be. Very true Parasite, but he runs in an Irish vest, not British, and we won one of the top races of the competition, and Mayock only finished second.

mike65

Flipping heck Ecksor, I'd hate to slight you in any meaningful way...my only point is the hype and hoopla that'll surround this chap if he does well from now on. Sure he's declared for Ireland which is great, but I never want to hear some offical prick from the AAI suggesting he's a magnificent product of the system or some such.

Mike.

ecksor

Oddly enough I didn't see the point you were making about the AAI in your first post.

Amz

So you've a problem with Cragg because of something someone might say about him in the future?

Squirrel

This has gone too far off topic, to be honest to the AAI they are mainly a voluntary organisation, so they're doing all right, so just lay off them, if you want to complain start a thread and back up your reasons with facts.

mike65

Amz read the posts and spot my problem with Cragg...I view him as no more Irish than Zola Budd was British...but thats not a problem with him but the "granny rule".

Mike.

Amz

mike65 wrote:

Amz read the posts and spot my problem with Cragg...I view him as no more Irish than Zola Budd was British...but thats not a problem with him but the "granny rule".

Mike.

Have you nothing constructive to add to this discussion Mike?

mike65

Your looking lovely tonight...and he ran a good race.

Mike.

Squirrel

Keep it on topic lads!

shelsfan

Ireland's newest middle-distance star Alistair Cragg - who strode home to a first Championship medal at tonight's European Indoors - paid tribute to the atmosphere generated at the stadium.

Cragg took gold in the 3000 metres, easily eclipsing home favourite Reyes Estevez, as he exhibited the form that saw him start last year's Olympic 5000m final as the only European in the field.

Head-and-shoulders above the nine other finalists, the 24-year-old Cragg - in easing up in 7:46.32 - had enough time to single the number one with his right hand in the closing stages.

"I love this atmosphere - these are the best Championships I've ever been in," said a delighted Cragg, a University of Arkansas graduate.

"I can't say setting the pace was a plan," added the front-running favourite, "as you never know what can happen with tactics in finals.

"I feel sorry for Estevez though. He was going for the double on home soil. Anyway he's a brave man and I wish him all the best in the 1500m. He can pull it off."

jacksonflam

cragg is representing ireland as a marriage of convienience. it's convienient for him. he's a mercenary, white 'refugee' from the new democratic south africa...many white south africans don't like it now that they don't have everything their own way down there and they are fleeing the land where they once enjoyed the privelges of apartheid...do we want to be complicit in offering those as undeserving as this an escape route? how can we celebrate in any way this tainted travesty.?

Squirrel

This was about congratulating the athletes, not questioning their motives for competing for Ireland, and as such has gone off topic, thread locked. If you want to complain, start a thread about it, don't turn an innocent thread into 1 attacking 1 of Irelands most promising athletes