A rejuvenated Fionnuala Britton gave a truly sparkling performance to win the women’s event at the Gerry Farnan Memorial Cross-Country carnival in the Phoenix Park today, sprinting away form the large field to win by margin of 66 seconds.
It was the Britton of old, the woman that took the silver medal in the European U 23 event a couple of years ago, 13th place in the World Championships and made the Steeplechase final at the Championships in Osaka in 2007.
All that was achieved under the coaching of Pat Diskin but she disclosed yesterday that she now has a new coach in Welsh born, Chris Jones, who is best known as a High Performance director with the Irish Triathlon Association.
This change was not something that Fionnuala planned but felt that she needed a new direction after her times in the Chase remained static for the last few years. “I seemed to be stuck around the same time of 9:40 and felt that it was time to make a change” she said.
“I always got on very well with Pat and was very good to me and was very understanding of why I was changing. We still communicate and he would always be a person that would be very supportive.”
Britton made the final of the Chase at the Europeans last summer but was disappointed the way she performed there but is now more determined than ever to make an impact in the European cross-country in eight weeks time.
Today she was full of running and raced with great freedom and tenacity to win the three mile event in 15:36 well clear of Lizzy Lee from Leevale with Siobhan Doherty of Borrisokane third in 16:50.
A feature of the men’s five mile event won impressively by Brendan O’Neill of Dundrum was the performance of former international, Clare man Seamus Power who will be 40 next month.
Power was the man who made the running from the gun and while he slipped to fourth he finished strongly to take second, just 13 seconds behind 21 year old O’Neill, the winner in 24:23. “It’s just great to be running reasonably well again but my problem has been shaking off one injury after another” said the great Clareman.
O’Neill, who is only 21 and has a lively 7:57 for 3,000m to his credit, will now look to be part of the Irish team for the Under 23 event in the Europeans on December 12. He experienced University life in the USA last year but did not like it and returned home and will today start building on yesterday’s success and improve his strength because he seems to have the speed and the style to make a major impact on the track in the coming years.
There was a massive battle for third with John Coghlan of the promoting Metro-St Brigid’s club just getting the verdict over another young star, John Travers of Donore after some fine running by both on near perfect underfoot conditions.
Details: Gerry Farnan Memorial cross-country: Men (5 miles): 1, B O’Neill (Dundrum SD) 24:23. 2, S Power (Kilmurray-Ibrickane) 24: 36. 3, J Coghlan (Metro-St Brigid’s) 24:44. 4, J Travers (Donore) 24:44. 5, E Flynn (Rathnarnham) 24:53.
Women (3 miles): 1, F Britton (Sli Cualann) 15:36. 2, L Lee (Leevale) 16:43. 3, S Doherty (Borrisokanel) 16:56.
Detailed Results;
men-results-aviva-gerry-farnan-cross-country-2010
women-results-aviva-gerry-farnan-cross-country-2010
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