Simms follows the McDonald route

McDonald had helped to shape O'Sullivan's career

By BBC Sport Online's John Haughey

Kim McDonald's sudden death from a heart attack late last year stunned the athletics world.

The Englishman was responsible for discovering many of the top Kenyan middle and long distance stars of the past 20 years.

He also coached and managed a host of world-class athletes from many other countries including Irish heroine Sonia O'Sullivan.

Another Irish native is helping to maintain the athletics management group which McDonald turned into a giant within the sport.

This week's World Cross Country Championship is giving Donegalman Ricky Simms a rare opportunity to put his feet on home soil.

Next week he will head with a group of athletes to prepare for the European 10K Challenge.

Bekele beat Kipkosgei into second place

"I don't even know where I am the following week," said Simms.

"Doha is the first outdoor track meet in May and then the grand prix season starts up in June and we'll have a group training in Stanford and competing in the grand prix meets in the US at that time."

Simms was in Kenya helping to set up a training camp when news of Kim McDonald's death filtered through from Australia.

He recalled: "Kim was a very fit guy and had run internationally in his time. He was a hard trainer and had been doing a lot of cycling.

"It was a big shock to the whole athletics community. He was personal adviser to IAAF president Lamine Diack and in recent years he had spent a lot of time with that role and had let me and other people look after the KIM business.

"During my stay in Kenya I had been talking to him maybe five or six times a day. I talked to him on the Saturday/Sunday and we'd arranged that we would talk again two or three hours later."

The next step

But that conversation was never to take place.

While his staff and athletes were all in deep shock, the KIM operation had to be maintained under the leadership of company co-owner Duncan Gaskill.

For his part, Simms had learned much about the business in 2001 with McDonald significantly increasing the Irishman's role within the company.

"It got to the stage where I went to all the meets and he kind of directed matters," he added. "The plan was that I would do that again this year."

The disadvantage is that Kim, who usually gave the final OK, is not there now to do that

Ricky Simms

This was in contrast to Simms' early days in the company in 2000 when he passed on McDonald's training instructions to the athletes as the Englishman jetted around the globe.

"We also consulted with our senior athletes and some former athletes that are close friends," added Simms.

"We've got a big infrastructure even though there's only maybe four or five people in the core staff.

"People are really doing what they have been doing for the last number of years.

"The disadvantage is that Kim, who usually gave the final OK, is not there now to do that."

The high point of Simms' Saturday at Leopardstown was seeing Luke Kipkosgei taking silver in the men's short race behind Ethiopian winner Kenenisa Bekele.

Sammy Kipketer just missing a medal in fourth, though, was a disappointment.

Kenyan Albert Chepkurui is in Sunday's men's long-course race and a certain Sonia O'Sullivan will be among the KIM prospects on day two of the championships.