An Exclusive interview with Niall Bruton

Only here at

Name:Niall Bruton
Age:28
Club:Clonliffe Harriers
Personal Bests:3.35.14(1500m) 3.53.3 (Mile)
World Student 1,500m Champion
World 1,500m Finalist
European 1,500m Finalist

Webmaster Chammers contacted Niall through e-mail and grilled him on his prospects for 2000 and more......

Chammers:What are your targets for the 2000 season?Do you believe you will achieve the Sydney standard?

Niall: My season targets are to run like I can and run like I know I can in Sydney if I didn't think that I could make the time then I would stop now, so I believe that I can do it.

Chammers:What did you make of James Nolan`s powerful run in Ghent?
Niall: James Nolan`s run in Ghent was fantastic, he is a great talent. Mark`s run was class too

Chammers:You've raced in many top class races.Which has been the most memorable and why?

Niall: My most memorable race was winning the Wanamaker Mile for the first time as I beat Marcus O' Sullivan in front of 18,000 people in Madison Square Gardens. There is such a great tradition there. Making the world championship 1500m final was great too as people had written me off in Ireland and it is the best way to answer critics

Chammers:Do you believe you can improve your times?

Niall: I believe that I can improve me times. I think that Marcus O' Sullivan is a great inspiration to everyone as he was running his best at age 34, so there is something to be said for experience (3.33.6)

Chammers:At the moment what type of training are you doing?

Niall: Training wise I am working on strength to get conditioned which I have been unable to do the last two years because of injry restrictions. I had to skip the base and go to the speed work but you can only get so far with that preparation. For the euro champs in 98, I only started training "properly" in March

Chammers:You've had a hell of a lot of injuries.Could you give us an account of your latest one?Did this affect your preparations for Seville?

Niall: I haven' t had many injuries, just one, I was diagnosed with ostoe-arthritis of my right hip which put me out for a while and even when I was "back" I wasn' t back. It really has hindered me but hopefully I am getting on top of it now and I can get back to running like I can. Like I said I am getting in the base this year again and feel good

Chammers:Who do you think will take the medals in Sydney?

Niall: I am sure el Guerrouj will be a firm favourite for a medal in sydney but in Barcelona Morcelli was favourite but my favourite runner, Cacho won, el guerrouj fell in Atlanta so the gods of Olympia play funny games!

Chammers:What athletes did you look up to when you were young?

Niall: I wasn' t into running when I was young, I played football but I really repect what the boys like O' Mara, Flynn, O' Sullivan, and Coghlan did. You have to, they were great athletes. Ray`s records still stand.

Chammers:When I mention the following words what is the first thing that comes into your mind?

el Guerrouj.............3.25
James McIlroy .............talent, nice guy
doping........... who knows anymore, any one that runs well now is judged to be on drugs, it' s not fair but I think it would be naive to think people don' t do it
3.25.........el Guerrouj

Chammers:Thanks alot for talking to me Niall

Niall: thanks Chammers, hope this is ok.

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