European Cross Country

Caprica · 14-12-2014 12:15pm #1

Anyone watching this? RTE have changed their schedule to show the womens race live. Fionnuala is currently leading, alongside Duarte, Bahta and a few Brits.

Caprica · 14-12-2014 12:20pm

After 3 laps the women's team are 4th 1 point behind the French. Not the biggest field

Caprica · 14-12-2014 12:37pm

Very exciting end to the women's race. A GB 1-2 with Steel over Avery, it was nip and tuck for the last lap. Fionnuala finished 6th, she was 3rd at the start of the last lap but Bahta and Belete came through on the last lap, Duarte was 5th. Sara Treacy 12th, Michelle Finn 23rd. The team were 3rd at the start of the last lap.

Itziger · 14-12-2014 12:38pm

So, did we take 3rd??

Caprica · 14-12-2014 12:38pm

Team Bronze, just pipped France by 1 point. Great result

Skid X · 14-12-2014 12:39pm

George Hamilton reckons Ireland got the team bronze. That's a great result.

Fionnuala was 6th, she was a long way behind the two British runners.

Ososlo · 14-12-2014 12:40pm

Exciting finish! Great to see the Irish women take the bronze!!!

Sacksian · 14-12-2014 12:40pm

Very impressive run by Kate Avery, especially - will be very interested to see how see progresses. Also, Jessica Judd was 2nd in the u20 Women, which is some run by an 800m runner.

Irish women got bronze too!

Caprica · 14-12-2014 12:46pm

Ireland 87 with France on 88. Fionnuala 6th, Sara, 12th, Michelle 23rd and Anne Marie Glynn 46th. Siobhan O'Doherty was 47th and Laura Crowe 53rd. Only 58finishers, a very small field.

I thought it was a tough course, frozen in the shade and mucky where it was starting to thaw. Gerry saying Fionnuala ran below expectations

Caprica · 14-12-2014 12:53pm

Sonia saying that Mary Cullen and Ciara Mageegan should be there representing Ireland and doesn't understand why they ran the jingle bells 5k last week. Gerry is on the defensive and fires back that Ciara was injured in Sept/Oct and he doesn't consider her fit but says that Mary Cullen should be there. Great TV, they are on a break now, hopefully both will still be in the studio when we return.

pconn062 · 14-12-2014 1:10pm

The usual uninspiring mens race is off, three former Africans in the top three spots including the convicted doper Bezebeh.

ECOLII · 14-12-2014 1:16pm

pconn062 wrote: »

The usual uninspiring mens race is off, three former Africans in the top three spots including the convicted doper Bezebeh.

Unfortunately not he was cleared despite being caught red handed (literally)

pconn062 · 14-12-2014 1:22pm

ECOLII wrote: »

Unfortunately not he was cleared despite being caught red handed (literally)

Really?? Honestly thought he was done, Cram is just after saying he was banned for two years.

shiibata · 14-12-2014 1:22pm

Russian who won the the u23 Mens just back from a 2 year suspension too...

corny · 14-12-2014 1:30pm

Commentator hasn't a clue.

ECOLII · 14-12-2014 1:33pm

pconn062 wrote: »

Really?? Honestly thought he was done, Cram is just after saying he was banned for two years.

It's a strange one he did serve a 2 year ban but was eventually cleared

http://www.athleticsweekly.com/0/admin/news/dominguez-and-bezabeh-cleared-of-doping-charges/

Sacksian · 14-12-2014 1:35pm

Great last two laps in the senior men's race! Arikan did all the work throughout - brilliant strength to hold on.

pconn062 · 14-12-2014 1:39pm

ECOLII wrote: »

It's a strange one he did serve a 2 year ban but was eventually cleared

http://www.athleticsweekly.com/0/admin/news/dominguez-and-bezabeh-cleared-of-doping-charges/

I stand corrected.

Caprica · 14-12-2014 2:10pm

The men's race turned out to be quite exciting in the end. Arikan deserved his victory after all the hard work he did, I thought once Bezabeh went to the front it was over but once the Turks attacked he fell back quickly. Was expecting Pollock to be closer to the Top 10.

In the Junior men's race a Russian was leading easily but got his laps wrong and finished a lap early, he then seemed to give home and came home in 55th.

On the whole it was a great to get a medal but I think the individual performance could have been better. The other two womens team both finished last which is disappointing. Was very impressed to see Jessica Judd step up from the 800, Gorecka was a bit disappointing in the U23 race, I expected her to win but only came mid teens.

runjb · 14-12-2014 3:33pm

Great result for the women's team. Returning home with no medal today wouldn't have been nice so well done to the senior women. Sonia made some very valid points on the TV today about Ireland needing to send out our best possible atheltes for this every year and challenge more for medals.

http://www.thescore.ie/ireland-women-athletics-britton-cross-country-1833758-Dec2014/

rom · 14-12-2014 3:57pm

runjb wrote: »

Great result for the women's team. Returning home with no medal today wouldn't have been nice so well done to the senior women. Sonia made some very valid points on the TV today about Ireland needing to send out our best possible atheltes for this every year and challenge more for medals.

http://www.thescore.ie/ireland-women-athletics-britton-cross-country-1833758-Dec2014/

If memory serves me right Jerry said the exact same maybe last year complaining about all the other athletes that didn't go. Nice that someone called him up on it this year though it does look a tad scripted.

pconn062 · 14-12-2014 4:02pm

The women's race was very exciting, in fact the last few Euro champs have seen the womens race as being the highlight for me. Delighted to see them get a medal out of it as well. Super run by Sarah Treacy to finish 12th, very impressive running.

youngrun · 15-12-2014 9:49am

Great result for Irish womens team , nice to see AM larkin/mcglynn on the podium remember her back in the day over the country. As Sonia said a silver was there with a full team out like Cullen /Mageean but as is always the way in running they have to turn up..
Encouraging runs by K Dooney, Mulcaire and Harper at U23/Jnr level.
I wonder whats the residency /qualification period for changing countries at present ? Although all the top 3 are in Europe a good few years. Would Farah have beaten them yesterday???

RayCun · 15-12-2014 10:18am

I think they said the Swedish runner had completed three years residency? (and also that one of the reasons she changed nationality was to avoid military service in Eritrea)

rom · 15-12-2014 10:28am

RayCun wrote: »

I think they said the Swedish runner had completed three years residency? (and also that one of the reasons she changed nationality was to avoid military service in Eritrea)

Well a better excuse than getting a 5 or 6 figure sum of money that doing so. The again if you were offered 6 figures then you can't blame them

Tombo2001 · 15-12-2014 12:52pm

Caprica wrote: »

Sonia saying that Mary Cullen and Ciara Mageegan should be there representing Ireland and doesn't understand why they ran the jingle bells 5k last week. Gerry is on the defensive and fires back that Ciara was injured in Sept/Oct and he doesn't consider her fit but says that Mary Cullen should be there. Great TV, they are on a break now, hopefully both will still be in the studio when we return.

Did he really say that? She ran a 4.21 mile in New York in September. To be fair, she is probably just training for a different event; just as Fionnuala didn't run track at the Euros.

Its a pity those two didn't run, but fair f***s to those who did; Fionnuala was short of her best, but that can happen on the day. Absolutely outstanding by Sara Treacy and Ann Marie McGlynn. Must be some feeling to realise you've won a European medal.

thirstywork2 · 16-12-2014 9:57pm

Tombo2001 wrote: »

Did he really say that? She ran a 4.21 mile in New York in September. To be fair, she is probably just training for a different event; just as Fionnuala didn't run track at the Euros.

Its a pity those two didn't run, but fair f***s to those who did; Fionnuala was short of her best, but that can happen on the day. Absolutely outstanding by Sara Treacy and Ann Marie McGlynn. Must be some feeling to realise you've won a European medal.

Love people making comments who know nothing and just speculating.
Ciara one of the most talented athletes but if you knew her injury that kept her out of the sport for 2+ years(ankle) and the fact that Jerry did say she missed a few weeks.Also she never intended on running the Senior race and she was still eligible for the u23 race.
Every coach should be making the best decision for there athlete and Jerry Kiernan has got Ciara back racing and hopefully competing for World & Olympic medals in the future.
ps Fionulla ran the 10k and the marathon at euros !!!

You run with what you have and the girls did a brilliant job of getting the bronze medals.

youngrun · 17-12-2014 12:40pm

Fair points but she was certainly in good enough shape judging by the mile runs in US and UK and Jingle Bells to top 10 at Euro cross, ditto Mary C why would you not want to compete at that level when in the nick to do so ? Id back Sonia on it, get out and run the big ones when your fit, might not be next year or ever again.

ECOLII · 17-12-2014 5:43pm

Although I would love to see the best team out in short term ultimately these are two top class athletes who are not funded as a result of previous long term injuries so I completely agree with the decision to try look at the long term focus of getting a good spell of consistent injury free training.

I know people could argue that because both ran Jingle Bells it was effectively same as running Euro's but the possibility of DNF in a local road race with a niggle would be completely different to the media pressure around a national team competition.

Hopefully we will see them performing to full potential in a green singlet in the 2015 season.

youngrun · 17-12-2014 6:02pm

I can see your point and know from my own limited abilities in racing the need to be 'right' for a race mentally and physically but objectively based on their times in JB both are in top shape - and could well be injured in 2015... I think at some stage of your career you just have to go for it and strike when the irons hot.. Very rare that FB hasn't raced the big events . One of the other team members ran a half mara the week before Euro also ! I guess we should be glad we have great strength in depth in womens . I am a huge fan of the two ladies mentioned and would love to see them challenge for a team and individual medal at Euro cross...maybe 2015 so !

average_runner · 17-12-2014 6:05pm

youngrun wrote: »

I can see your point and know from my own limited abilities in racing the need to be 'right' for a race mentally and physically but objectively based on their times in JB both are in top shape - and could well be injured in 2015... I think at some stage of your career you just have to go for it and strike when the irons hot.. Very rare that FB hasn't raced the big events . One of the other team members ran a half mara the week before Euro also ! I guess we should be glad we have great strength in depth in womens . I am a huge fan of the two ladies mentioned and would love to see them challenge for a team and individual medal at Euro cross...maybe 2015 so !

Also cross country can be tougher on the body, so not the best way for injured runner to make come back in

European Cross Country

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