Brit in good Nic

By DAVID OGILVIE David.ogilvie@wanganuichronicle.co.nz
England 1500m champion Andrew Baddeley is training well enough to run a 3min 55sec mile in Wanganui on Saturday night.
That's the word from his Australian coach Nic Bideau, the man who had Craig Mottram in last year's inaugural event won by Kiwi Nick Willis.
Bideau is guiding Baddeley, Jeff Risely and Irishman David Campbell, while Australian 800-metre champion Nick Bromley is apparently coming to Wanganui even though he's not yet in the official field.
Risely and Bromley fought out a close 800m final in Brisbane on Saturday, but Bromley took his third consecutive title. Bideau rates them all:
"Baddeley is a quality performer ? sixth in the European champs last year at 1500m and an impressive winner of the English title, as well as a winner in Lucerne."
In fact Bideau believes Baddeley, mixed up in the Mottram fall in the Melbourne Commonwealth Games 1500m, was good enough to have pressured Kiwi winner Nick Willis.
"Had he not fallen in the Commonwealth Games he could have challenged Willis.
He's been training with Mottram and is fit enough to run a personal best for a mile - 3.55 is possible.
"Bromley and Riseley went 1-2 in the Australian 800m champs and will be hard to beat if the pace is not fast. They are capable of running inside 4min ? just. Risley is only 20 and is one of the most exciting prospects produced in Australia in years."
Irishman Campbell is another who just might edge through the barrier," Bideau said.
"Campbell has also been training with Mottram and Baddeley and has recently reduced his 1500m best by 5sec to 3.41 off that work. He can break 4min but it will be tight. "But with a 1.46 800m to his credit he'll also be a factor if the race is not fast."
Women's favourite, 25-year-old Dublin runner Aoife Byrne, has been training with Bideau's wife, Sonia O'Sullivan, in Melbourne and should be hard to beat in the women's race. "She recently ran 4.40 for a mile but will be more rested for this and could run around 4.35," Bideau said.
The women's field has been hard work for the organisers, because of injuries to Australian Lisa Corrigan, world 800m No 8 Rebecca Lyne (Britain), and Kiwis (out for various reasons) Kate McIlroy, Jessica Ruthe, Rebecca Forlong and Melissa Moon.
Star entries are Byrne and Kiwi Kellie Palmer, who ran third in the Australian 800m final last weekend in Brisbane.
Thus the senior women and junior women have been combined because there are several junior runners ? especially Cambridge's Camille Buscomb and Wanganui's Lucy and Holly van Dalen ? are capable of holding their own.
Tomorrow: We look at the junior men's and keep up to date with other movements for Saturday's Mayoral Mile day.