IRISH ATHLETE FIONNUALA Britton has secured the gold medal at the 18th SPAR European Cross Country Championships in Velenje, Slovenia.
She is only the second ever Irish athlete to win the gold medal after Catherina McKiernan, who won the event in 1994.
Britton established her lead early on and finished ahead of Portugal’s Felix, who took second place and Britain’s Gemma Steel, who came third.
Speaking in the aftermath of her success, Britton told Will Downing that the win “makes up for last year,” referring to when she came agonisingly close to winning a medal, only to lose out following a photo finish. She added:
“I knew what I had to do today, and I hoped that what I had to do was going to be enough and it was.“I knew my strength was going to be in the distance and I knew some other girls would be the same but I knew that if I sat around and waited, anything could happen, so the more I was out in front, the more I was determined that I was going to win it.”
In the men’s race, Joe Sweeney also put in a commendable performance, finishing in fifth place, with the Irish team coming sixth overall, in a race that was won by Atelaw Bekele of Belgium.
Meanwhile, in the U23 event, Sarah Louise Treacy came 18th in the women’s race, while Michael Mulhare finished 31st in the men’s race.
Should definitely be picked over Skrtel.
He can score goals just as well, and he can actual do the job he’s primarily meant to do – defend.
Well, prove himself and show he deserves his place, the way it used to be….
Think he has proved himself,a far far better defender than Skrtel or Sahko,
Skittles was the shunned man at the start of last season, until injuries gave him his chance & he took it.
If Dagger would just hit the weights & get string as fook, I’d have him over the lumbering Sakho.
I think he is gone. Always struggles with the physical players and is not great in the air. Its a pity as he is easily the most comfortable player with the ball at his feet and is well able to pop up with vital goals. Glen Johnson can start packing his bags as well!
Ah if it isn’t James ‘sing when your winning Quinn , how have you been , meltdown over ..
Twenty, in fairness, you stuck around all season, but like christmas, once a year… 95% of ‘man u’ fans here, showed up after the Palace game only…… Liverpools failure was Man U’s success this year… Like tables turned…….meltdown on an apocalyptic scale….
U are a sad case, hardly worth responding to. I have better things to be doing on my holidays than chattin with a kn#b like u.
First time I ever heard losing one game to Chelsea as a meltdown. Went all out to hammer Palace, only chance they had of winning the title was on goal difference, City were always going to beat Villa and West Ham at home.
The only team in meltdown is down the road at Old Toilet!
Well said
I love these comments. A fan’s worth is ostensibly gauged by the volume of his/her’s contributions on The Score – the benchmark of so many things in life. Some people have fat too much time on their hands.
Chatting ??? Who said anything about chatting !!! How about just supporting your team win , lose or draw like a real pool fan (graham kavanagh is a good example) you should take a leaf out if his book .
Graham Utd fans took stick all season on every thread from yourself and other fans. Now the shoe is on the other foot you need to take it and grow a pair !
Paulie, you have seen me here all season, never shied away either. I am not disputing what you say either, but many man u fans did hide all season. Also, man u fans have been dishing it out for donkey years now, and one really bad season and you expect compassion? Not in footie world….
Who said anything about compassion Graham , if your going to give it you have to be able to take it..and that apply’s to all
Supporting my team?? I went over to see pool play 5 times this season. I think that’s more than what u do, talking sh!te here.
You will be calling yourself ‘Twenty’ for a long time, living in the past! Will I start calling myself ’5 times’?? Sad case.
I read this story 3 days ago on goal, get with d times man!
So, Paulie, are you saying, when you get stick I should not respond back? Are you moving the posts on how to act here? I give as good as I get, you know that by now, and I am also here when we lose, as you may know from the terrible year we had the previous season….. If you do not like what I say, that is you not being able to take it….. contradicting your own comments…..