Mary Cullen huge CR in Raheny 5 yesterday - surely Team MUST be sent to World XC

Middle Distance

A superb Mary Cullen ran 25.55 in Raheny 5 mile road race yesterday in gale force winds & still managed to break the CR after almost 2 years away from racing! She smashed Maria McCambridges record by around 20 secs I believe! Surely with Mary been in this great form along with Fionnuala (who is on fire at the moment too), along with Linda Byrne and Ava Hutchinson or possibly Maria McCambridge a very strong Irish Women's Team could be sent to World XC in Poland in March. According to the girls they all want a team to be sent although Ankrom is trying to tell us all that this is not the case! Surely a team has to be sent given their current great form - surely a bronze team medal is up for grabs if the girls can produce the form they are currently showing at the moment!

ecoli

Middle Distance wrote: »

A superb Mary Cullen ran 25.55 in Raheny 5 mile road race yesterday in gale force winds & still managed to break the CR after almost 2 years away from racing! She smashed Maria McCambridges record by around 20 secs I believe! Surely with Mary been in this great form along with Fionnuala (who is on fire at the moment too), along with Linda Byrne and Ava Hutchinson or possibly Maria McCambridge a very strong Irish Women's Team could be sent to World XC in Poland in March. According to the girls they all want a team to be sent although Ankrom is trying to tell us all that this is not the case! Surely a team has to be sent given their current great form - surely a bronze team medal is up for grabs if the girls can produce the form they are currently showing at the moment!

Was only discussing this on the way home yesterday definitely think it makes sense to send a team however I dont think they will

Also given the dramatic increase in standards for Worlds now for the Marathon, it has slightly changed the circumstances. As it stands Linda doesnt even have the B standard anymore and with only one B standard athlete allowed go many of the Athletes even with the B standard will have to set down a marker to get the selectors attention

Many will have to give a spring marathon there absolute all to try and clinch a place on the team for Moscow if the AAI are willing to send B standards

Its definitely possible for the team to have a good standing in terms of a top five placing. I was over in Punta Umbria 2 years ago when the US team managed a bronze and I think with the addition of Cullen while not as strong as that team could still emulate the performance

Clum

I think the focus is all wrong if the girls want to risk the season chasing a very tough qualifying time in the marathon that there's no guarantee they'll be able to run.

They've proven themselves over cross country this winter and if Mary Cullen was to join the team they would have a great shot at team bronze in the world cross but I can't see any of them pick up a medal in the world champs marathon, if they get there.

But that's a personal opinion. I'm sure they girls and their coaches know what they're doing.

Enduro

Clum wrote: »

I'm sure they girls and their coaches know what they're doing.

It's beyond unfortunate that we can't say the same about Athletics Ireland.

Pisco Sour

ecoli wrote: »

Also given the dramatic increase in standards for Worlds now for the Marathon, it has slightly changed the circumstances. As it stands Linda doesnt even have the B standard anymore and with only one B standard athlete allowed go many of the Athletes even with the B standard will have to set down a marker to get the selectors attention

This is the case with IAAF B-standards but surely not with regards AAI B-Standards? The AAI B-Standard is still an IAAF A-Standard, so if they wanted to send more than one on a "B" they still can.

ecoli

Pisco Sour wrote: »

This is the case with IAAF B-standards but surely not with regards AAI B-Standards? The AAI B-Standard is still an IAAF A-Standard, so if they wanted to send more than one on a "B" they still can.

Thought so to but they have not amended the in the AAI selection policy outline (mind you alot of it is just a rehash of the IAAF one)

Hopefully this is just a clerical oversight though

robinph

Sending a team to an event where there is an outside chance of a medal should be the priority over sending one person to an event where there is guarantee of not winning anything, or possibly not even finishing if it happens to be a bad day for that one person.

tHE vAGGABOND

or coming last, like in London

Insanity we are not sending a team

Middle Distance

See today's Irish Daily Mail where Ankrom now says Ladies Team will now be sent to World XC if they are interested in going! Wonder why the sudden change of heart!!!

RayCun

How is that a change of heart?
A couple of weeks ago he said

“I’m supportive of sending a team but I’m not seeing that collectively at the moment from the athletes,” said Ankrom. “If we are to send a team, I would like to send the best team but the athletes have made individual plans for the year. From a media point of view I know it’s disappointing but from planet me I’m supportive towards their individual goals,” he continued.

Middle Distance

I have spoken to the athletes in question and apparently they had always told Ankrom they were all interested in been part of the World XC Team and he told them he wasn't sending a team - end of! What he told the media a few weeks back apparently was totally not the real story!

dna_leri

Middle Distance wrote: »

I have spoken to the athletes in question and apparently they had always told Ankrom they were all interested in been part of the World XC Team and he told them he wasn't sending a team - end of! What he told the media a few weeks back apparently was totally not the real story!

I thought Lizzie Lee had said she was not interested but with Mary Cullen back to form (and hopefully she stays injury free), looks like a good replacement is lined up.

jeffontour

Without being inside the heads of everyone involved nobody will ever know the truth of what was or wasn't said. The main thing is that the team going all want to go and are given whatever support available to do their best.

Best of luck to them.

runjb

Maria McCambridge seems to be focusing on the marathon standard of 2.32 according to this:

http://www.herald.ie/sport/other-sports/on-a-mission-for-moscow-3370349.html

"The work continues, and Maria McCambridge, winner of the Dublin Marathon in 2:35.28 last October, will lead a strong Irish entry at the Rotterdam Marathon on April 14. McCambridge had hoped to run cross-country this season, but will now make an attempt at getting under two hour 32 minutes -- the Irish qualifying mark for the World Championships in Moscow belatedly announced by Athletics Ireland last week."

Lizzie Lee seems to be targeting Paris on April 7th.

A team of Britton, Cullen, Byrne and Hutchinson would IMO be very strong, and well capable of challenging for a team medal. Fingers crossed they make a go at it!

dna_leri

A lot of weight being put on Mary's shoulders. Given her fragile injury history I hope she puts herself first and only runs if she is really up to it. Remember she was not available to compete just a few weeks ago. Moscow should be her real goal.

thirstywork2

Middle Distance wrote: »

I have spoken to the athletes in question and apparently they had always told Ankrom they were all interested in been part of the World XC Team and he told them he wasn't sending a team - end of! What he told the media a few weeks back apparently was totally not the real story!

You have spoken to all the girls???

Mary had her focus on Indoors last time I spoke to her so to see her run Raheny was a huge suprise.
People forget all these athletes pre plan their schedules and training well in advance.While it would be great to see a team there it ain't going to happen.

pc11

dna_leri wrote: »

I thought Lizzie Lee had said she was not interested but with Mary Cullen back to form (and hopefully she stays injury free), looks like a good replacement is lined up.

Why would she or any runner not be interested?? I could understand if she had a major marathon target lined up or if the champs were in the other side of the world, but that's not the case.

thirstywork2

Leevale's Lizzie Lee, whose focus is to qualify for the marathon at next summer's World Championships, was also lukewarm about going.

Lee has told AAI she would change her training plan if they really want to send a team, but also candidly said: "What's to be gained (personally) from going to World Cross' and finishing 90th or 100th? We had a really good team for the Europeans, but I don't think it's at World level yet."

dna_leri

pc11 wrote: »

Why would she or any runner not be interested?? I could understand if she had a major marathon target lined up or if the champs were in the other side of the world, but that's not the case.

"What's to be gained (personally) from going to World Cross' and finishing 90th or 100th? We had a really good team for the Europeans, but I don't think it's at World level yet." LL

From Mary's point of view getting 3 years of injury free running and making competing at the olympics in Rio should be her long term priority. Anything else is cake.