He has been keeping himself fit in jail, but that means only fit in the "civilian" sense. If Tyson can regain his edge and venom, with a different trainer and corner-team than the amateurs he had last time around, he is still young enough at 28 to recapture 80 per cent of what he was in 1986-88.But there is much work to be done. A 5ft 10in man cannot hope to outjab a 6ft 3in opponent, so Tyson made the most of what he had by coming in on his man in a crouch, minimising the target for counters and utilising his low centre of gravity to launch nerve-numbing lefts, part hook and part upper-cut.So long as he had the discipline to work at his trade, itworked, but then his life started to unravel and the result was the shambling figure who wasknocked out by Buster Douglas and struggled twice to get past Razor Ruddock.If he has used his three years' incarceration sensibly, and reflected on where, how and with whom he went wrong, Tyson can view his boxing future with reasonable optimism.Even the man who faced Douglas and Ruddock would have a chance of beating most of today's mediocrities. He was always a one- dimensional fighter, even in his terrifying prime. His technique, devised by Cus D'Amato and refined by the trainers Teddy Atlas and Kevin Rooney, was dic- tated by his physical limitations. He no longer had the legs or the timing to be the dancing master who dazzled us in the Sixties, so he developed a new technique, never better displayed than on the unforgettable night in Zaire in 1974 when Ali confused, bewildered and ultimately defeated George Foreman.Ali was the greatest improviser in heavyweight history, a boxing scientist who could devise the right tactics to beat any opponent Tyson does not have that gift.

Tyson lost three years because of a rape conviction, yet when he emerged from prison in Plainsfield, Indiana, yesterday there was a stack of mega-million dollar offers to wade through and a roomful of heavyweights eager to give him a crack at their titles. It took Ali four years to regain the crown, and he did it by a dramatic change in style. God has to be good and he has to help me win one year.''Kenya, who won all but the women's team title at last year's championships, had a relatively modest day. Although they took all four team titles, they had only one individual winner - Paul Tergat in the men's senior race. Britain's impact on the championship as host country was predictably slight, although Andrew Pearson excelled his own expectations to finish 20th in the men's race.Ironically Britain's highest finisher, Paula Radcliffe - who had to watch the last World Championships on crutches because of a foot injury - was reduced to tears after her performance. She took 18th place in the women's senior race, where she gambled courageously on keeping in the leading group for two-thirds of the race before succumbing to exhaustion.After a finish that was a desperate demonstration of will-power she slumped down beside her mother in the frenetic contestants' marquee and cried on the shoulder of Britain's national cross-country coach for women, Bud Baldaro.What told in the end was the relative lack of training the 21-year-old had been able to put in since recovering from her long-term foot injury in October.Still deathly pale, but cheered a little by a warm-down jog with her Loughborough University colleague Tanya Blake, Radcliffe put a brave face on things.

"I wanted to cover any breaks and give myself a chance," she said "But I just went It was so sudden. I have never felt so exhausted at the end of a race."n Three Ethiopian athletes and their coach went missing from their world cross-country team yesterday, leaving notes saying they did not want to return home. The four women left the college where the 28-strong team were staying and, according to police, caught a London-bound train.. MUHAMMAD ALI is a gentle and forgiving man, but he could be excused a twinge of bitterness as he observes the Mike Tyson circus. Ali forfeited three years of his career on a point of principle - his refusal to participate in the Vietnam War - and when he was finally cleared to box again in 1970, Georgia was the only state prepared to license him. "Because the travel was really terrible, I did this thing for me," she said with a radiant smile.Although McKiernan won a gold medal last year, at the newly instituted European Cross-Country Championships in Alnwick, she regarded that event as being simply a step on her way to Saturday's race "I didn't peak for the Europeans," she said "I trained towards these championships I can't put them behind me now until I win I have to keep trying. Once McKiernan and Tulu had broken clear of the rest of the field on the final lap of the 6,470 metres course, the result, from an Irish point of view, seemed horribly inevitable.McKiernan, pale and determined, was clearly digging into her reserves; Tulu, at her shoulder, seemed serene in the knowledge that she had something in reserve - and so it proved as she made the decisive break with 1,000m to go.Tulu's performance was all the more glorious in the circumstances.

The Ethiopian team had arrived in Durham at midnight on Friday after a horrendous three-day journey from Addis Ababa complicated by visa problems, a night stranded at Athens airport and a seven-hour coach journey up from Heathrow featuring the obligatory M25 traffic jam. And yet, as she greeted and shook hands with those who had travelled to Durham from her home town of Cornafaen in County Cavan to support her, McKiernan displayed the grace of a champion. A middle-aged lady brandishing an Irish tricolour held on to her hand "You Were Great." she said "Thank you," McKiernan said with a twinkling smile. But as the flush-faced Irish runner made her way towards the line the fact seemed almost too cruel to bear. Four times a silver medallist behind four different winners - this time behind Ethiopia's Olympic 10,000 metres champion, Derartu Tulu. The course commentator's comments at the finish of Saturday's women's World Cross-Country Championships were simply a matter of fact - "and Catherina McKiernan is going to be in second place for the fourth successive time''.

Bath: Try Buckland; Conversion Callard; Penalty Callard.Wasps: J Ufton; P Hopley, D Hopley, G Childs, S Roiser; R Andrew, S Bates; N Popplewell, K Dunn, I Dunston, M Greenwood, N Hadley, L Dallaglio, D Ryan (capt), M White.Bath: J Callard; J Sleightholme, P de Glanville (capt), M Catt, S Geoghegan; R Butland, I Sanders; K Yates, G Adams, J Mallett, M Haag, N Redman, A Robinson, B Clarke, E Peters.Referee: J Pearson (Yarm, Cleveland).n Saracens secured the one promotion place to the First Division when, despite fielding a much weakened team at short notice, they overcame Nottingham 32-7 at Southgate.. So, too, was the fact that Wasps whitewashed Bath at all four levels on Saturday.Wasps: Try Greenwood; Penalties Andrew 2. Dean Ryan, leading the Londoners by example from No 8 to only their third Courage win over their visitors, happily confessed that by then they had run out of ideas "This is a huge boost," he said. It was then a question of hanging on as Bath began to rumble, Callard landing a penalty and then converting Richard Butland's try on the hour following a stunning break down the right by Mike Catt.Bath's first league defeat since November 1993, ended in a succession of Wasps scrums. Down wind in the first half, he missed two of three penalty attempts before a big drive by Paddy Dunston resulted in a streaky try for Matt Greenwood.But they all count and Andrew completed his side's scoring with a second penalty four minutes after the break. And how tense it was, Rob Andrew apparently having left his kicking boots in England's dressing-room at Twickenham. You don't do what he did to Bath." Ubogu may wish he hadn't when he hears news of the side selected for the trip to The Stoop.Meanwhile, Wasps could bask in victory.