A SOLID all-round team display saw Ireland’s women lift bronze medals at the SPAR European Cross Country Championships in Hyeres, France.
That repeated their placing in Bulgaria last year and was the only Irish podium placing on a day of competitive racing on a bone hard course around a horse track.
Former two-time champion Fionnuala McCormack fell just short of an individual medal despite a spirited last kilometre which swept her to fourth place, just five seconds shy of second spot.
Holland’s Sifan Hassan took the initiative from the gun while McCormack languished back in eighth for the opening half of the eight-kilometre trip.
Hassan looked like she was going to win by a country mile at one point but started to falter just before the final lap. The sound of the bell seemed to give her fresh supplies of energy and she was able to hang on to win by eight seconds from last year’s runner-up Kate Avery.
Norway’s Karoline Grovdal took third despite McCormack’s late charge.
Ireland trailed Spain for the team bronze for most of the race but Lizzie Lee (13th), Caroline Crowley (23rd) and Ciara Durkan (43rd) ran the races of their lives to beat off the Spanish by a healthy 12 points for third spot. Britain were convincing winners ahead of France.
Newcastle’s Kerry O’Flaherty was sixth of the Irish in 55th despite the going being one which should have suited the woman destined for next year’s Olympics in the steeplechase.
Turkey’s Ali Kaya adopted similar tactics to Hassan in the senior men’s race by striking the front from the gun. He was hauled in by Spain’s Bezabeh but escaped again on the last lap to win comfortably as Spaniards filled the next four places.
The Irish men were badly outclassed, with national champion Mick Clohisey the first finisher in 37th, ahead of Annadale Strider Paul Pollock in 45th. That meant they secured only 11th place of the 11 competing teams.
Britain’s Jonathan Davies, who won the junior race at Antrim this spring, finished well to take the U23 men’s title.
Brandon Hargreaves led the Irish home in 31st as Ireland took seventh in the team competition behind a strong Spanish selection.
Ireland only had two representatives in the women’s U23 race with Shona Heaslip finishing back in 33rd, four places ahead of Banbridge athlete Emma Mitchell.
Scotland’s 3:58 1500m performer Laura Muir failed to get an individual medal, finishing in fourth place behind impressive winner Louise Carton of Belgium. Britain lifted it’s first team gold of the afternoon.
Kevin Mulcaire was considered to have an outside chance of a medal in the junior men’s race and looked to be going well in third place during the opening two laps.
However, the Ennis Track Club athlete could not respond when eventual winner Yemaneberhan Crippa of Italy put in a surge to the front entering the penultimate circuit.
Mulcaire dropped back to 25th by the end, two places behind the first of the Irish Jack O’Leary. City of Lisburn’s James Edgar was 70th and gaining experience for his remaining two years in the age group. France won the team race with Ireland back in eighth.
The Irish Junior women were probably disappointed too after finishing 11th of the 11 competing countries.
Sophie Murphy was first green vest across the finish line in 54th place as Germany’s Konstanze Klosterhalfen claimed a shock victory and led her country to an equally unexpected team win.
PORTAFERRY'S Ciara Mageean has qualified for the Olympics in Rio next year after the IAAF lowered the qualifying standard for the women’s 1500m event. The mark had been 4:06:00 but was revised to 4:07.00 due to the dearth of qualifiers.
The 800m marks were also revised but while Letterkenny’s Mark English is unaffected, as he had already met the existing standard, Kilkenny City Harrier Ciara Everard now qualifies with a time faster than the revised 2:01.50.
Mageean, 23, could have gone to the World Championships in Beijing this summer but decided to chase the 4:07.00 qualifying mark in September but fell just short on two occasions in Italy. Her faster time, and personal best, of 4:06.49 should now see her on the plane to Rio next August.
The marathon marks have also been modified from 2:42 to 2:45 for women and 2:17 to 2:19 for men meaning that no less than 12 Irish athletes now meet the respective standards.
