Mottram takes an inside track
Australian giving chase to Africans
Craig Mottram is definitely an outdoor person.
Mottram, a nationally-ranked triathlete in Australia before switching to middle distance running, trains far from the crowds at Falls Creek in the Alpine country of northeast Victoria.
Mottram made his mark by becoming the first non-African male competitor to win a medal in the 5,000 meters in the world championships outdoor meet since 1987, when he finished third last year in Helsinki.
But Mottram, 25, is going inside for his next race, his first major indoor competition since 2003, in the 2-mile event at the Reebok Boston Indoor Games at the Reggie Lewis Center tonight. The competition will include Ethiopians Sileshi Sihine, who was second in the 10,000 meters in the 2004 Olympics and last year's world championships, and edged Mottram for second in the 5,000 meters; Abebe Dinkessa, ranked No. 2 in the 10,000 meters last year; four-time World
''I like it,' Mottram said of the indoor experience. ''I got on the track a couple of times Monday. It's just running."
Mottram was the center of attention in a press conference yesterday, an anomaly in a field dominated by East and North Africans.
''It's 110 degrees [in Australia], it's 35 centigrade at night and you can't sleep," Mottram said. ''I am here to collect some ice and take it home, that's what I tell people. This is a great opportunity to come here and run with a high-quality field.
''There is a bit more pressure than there would have been if I had not performed well last year. But I always put pressure on myself. It's good to have a whole field to compete against. We should get a good race that moves quickly."
Before Mottram's third-place finish behind Kenya's Benjamin Limo and Sihine, the previous non-African medalists in the world championship 5,000 meters were second-place Domingos Castro of Portugal and third-place Jack Buckner of Great Britain 18 years ago.
Mottram has become a symbol, a threat to the African hegemony in distance events. His gregariousness and uninhibited personality are assets in dealing with expectations and the fact he has become a reference point.
''Sometimes you are running with 20 Kenyans and you can't identify who's who, so it's good we have someone we can identify with," Cragg said.
''It's not that Craig is white, it's just good to have a guy who is taller than I am," said Dobson, who is 6 feet 2 inches, slightly shorter than Mottram.
Mottram is preparing for the Commonwealth Games in Australia in March.
''A lot of the art form in racing has disappeared in Europe," Mottram said. ''In Europe, in a lot of races they set the pace, then the pacemaker steps off and you are left to fight it out."
Other competitions place more a premium on placings than time.
''This is good to have a chance to practice during the year when the pressure is not on to perform and there are no medals to be won," Mottram said. ''We should be able to race and race well and race fast. We should have a good, quality race. It's only a small track, so you can't get away."
Tonight's schedule
Events for the Reebok Boston Indoor Games at the Reggie Lewis Track & Athletic Center. As of yesterday afternoon, there were still a limited number of tickets at $40 each (go to www.bostonindoorgames.com for information). The meet be will be shown on tape tomorrow from 3-5 p.m. on ESPN2.| Event | Time |
| Masters mile | 5:15 |
| Reebok youth event | 5:25 |
| National anthem | 5:35 |
| Corporate relay | 5:40 |
| Women's 400 meters | 5:50 |
| Men's shot put | 5:55 |
| Men's 1000 meter run | 6:00 |
| Women's 5000 meters | 6:10 |
| Girls' invitational mile | 6:32 |
| Women's 60m | 6:40 |
| Boys' invitational mile | 6:50 |
| Men's 60 meters | 7:00 |
| Women's mile | 7:10 |
| Men's mile | 7:20 |
| Women's high jump | 7:20 |
| Women's 200 meter | 7:35 |
| Men's 600 meter | 7:45 |
| Women's 3000 meter | 7:55 |
| Men's 2-mile | 8:10 |
