Euro Cross Teams Announced

pconn062

http://www.athleticsireland.ie/news/britton-leads-irish-team-for-the-european-cross-country-championships/

Interesting to see Kevin Batt on the men's team. No meaning to sound harash but think it's a slightly weaker womens team than we have sent in the past but really looking forward to see how Fionnuala gets on.

youngrun

pconn062 wrote: »

http://www.athleticsireland.ie/news/britton-leads-irish-team-for-the-european-cross-country-championships/

Interesting to see Kevin Batt on the men's team. No meaning to sound harash but think it's a lightly weaker team than we have sent in the past but really looking forward to see how Fionnuala gets on.

Great talent Batt. Pollock can only get better in coming weeks . Is there a team medal anywhere do you think ?
A pity Mary Cullen is not running.... FB should be in with a medal shout .
Seems to be a lot of the 2012 olympic marathon/XC teams out of the picture these days

ECOLII

Interesting to see only Dooney coming back from the US for the U23's. Byrne and Quinn both managed to get the better of him (regionals and nationals respectively)

On paper with the addition of those two I would have thought it was probably our best team (however given Providence athletes tend to peak right for NCAA's and don't travel well)

Siofra also omitted which is probably a good thing for her own progression but would have been one of our stronger runners.

Great to see a full u23 womens team sent though.

I think medals would be a bonus looking at all teams but would say most competitive will be Junior men and Senior women. I know the references to the previous winning team but it should be pointed out that McCormack who was a member of that team didn't manage top 10 in this years Nationals so I think it is a sign that the stakes are being upped.

Plenty of athletes would could be added to each team to make stronger but ultimately not a bad thing that depth is slowly but surely growing within all ranks when you see the number of omissions who would challenge for spots;

-Micheal Mulhare
-Dave McCarthy
-Martin Fagan
-Mary Cullen
-Orla Drumm
-Sarah Collins
-Shane Quinn
-Jake Byrne
-Aaron Hanley
-Sean Tobin
-Tara Jameson
- Siofra Buttner Cleirigh

(to name a few as I know I am forgetting a fair few)

Chivito550

What are Linda Byrne and Ava Hutchinson at these days?

ECOLII

Chivito550 wrote: »

What are Linda Byrne and Ava Hutchinson at these days?

Linda is no longer running, not sure where Ava is

ultraman1

ECOLII wrote: »

Linda is no longer running, s

as in giving it up or injured

pconn062

ultraman1 wrote: »

as in giving it up or injured

Taking a break from the sport I think is how is was phrased.

youngrun

ECOLII wrote: »

Interesting to see only Dooney coming back from the US for the U23's. Byrne and Quinn both managed to get the better of him (regionals and nationals respectively)

On paper with the addition of those two I would have thought it was probably our best team (however given Providence athletes tend to peak right for NCAA's and don't travel well)

Siofra also omitted which is probably a good thing for her own progression but would have been one of our stronger runners.

Great to see a full u23 womens team sent though.

I think medals would be a bonus looking at all teams but would say most competitive will be Junior men and Senior women. I know the references to the previous winning team but it should be pointed out that McCormack who was a member of that team didn't manage top 10 in this years Nationals so I think it is a sign that the stakes are being upped.

Plenty of athletes would could be added to each team to make stronger but ultimately not a bad thing that depth is slowly but surely growing within all ranks when you see the number of omissions who would challenge for spots;

-Micheal Mulhare
-Dave McCarthy
-Martin Fagan
-Mary Cullen
-Orla Drumm
-Sarah Collins
-Shane Quinn
-Jake Byrne
-Aaron Hanley
-Sean Tobin
-Tara Jameson
- Siofra Buttner Cleirigh

(to name a few as I know I am forgetting a fair few)

Thats a lot of very good athletes and none of them running Euro X - why are so many missing ?
Add in the 2012 XC team womens, and guys like Kenneally, Sweeney, Hehir,
means an awful lot on the sidelines .

ECOLII

youngrun wrote: »

Thats a lot of very good athletes and none of them running Euro X - why are so many missing ?
Add in the 2012 XC team womens, and guys like Kenneally, Sweeney, Hehir,
means an awful lot on the sidelines .

7 of those have college commitments, of the rest most are decisions where by they chose to focus on others.

To the best of my knowledge very few are sidelined due to injury concerns which to me is a positive step. In the past there has been a reliance on a finite number of athletes which could stagnate their long term progression to a point.

The diversity of goals may be disappoint in the short term for people looking towards these championships but I think long term it could benefit the nation in terms of consistency of good championship performances.

rom

Doesn't maria mccambridge run XC?

BeepBeep!

She did Intercounties last year and finished 6....didn't do it this year.

bigslice

Delighted to see Conor Duffy from Glaslough make the U23 team.

Great achievement for him and someone relatively new to the scene.

Sanchez83

Shona Heaslip who made the u23 team is only running about 6 months!

PVincent

Not sure that is true. She certainly ran Munster schools cc a few years back.

Sanchez83

Ran Munster schools Xc to make up a team,day off school etc.
Only started running training 6 months ago and joined a club approx 4 months ago.

PVincent

Did she play other sports?

Sanchez83

Technically no
Irish dancing

nobody told me

The Irish team fly out on fri presumably a lot of the day is taken up with travelling so that leaves them sat to check out the course etc.

Amateur hour at its finest, there's people on here that go away to run marathons that give themselves more time than that.

rom

nobody told me wrote: »

The Irish team fly out on fri presumably a lot of the day is taken up with travelling so that leaves them sat to check out the course etc.

Amateur hour at its finest, there's people on here that go away to run marathons that give themselves more time than that.

That and all athletes need to travel to Dublin first and then 2 flights to get there.

youngrun

How will the teams do Sunday ? Will FB medal ? Up against it with Gemma Steel, Duarte, Moreira etc , but she will give them a race anyway. Will Batt or Pollock lead the men home, think PP might surprise a few

pistol_75

Pollock posted the below in his blog last night:

How did it get to be that time of year again? It seems like it was only yesterday that I was eagerly anticipating the European cross country in Belgrade. Now, twelve months on, and the stabbing cold and deep snow of a ski resort in Bulgaria awaits. Last year, I finished a distant 26th, well behind the leaders and below the standard at which I had hoped to compete. This year though, the dreaming of a medal has returned.
Less than ten weeks ago I was unable to jog never mind compete. I was being destroyed in sessions and I was being dropped consistently in every rep. But at the end of every session, as I was doubled over, coughing up my lungs, there was my coach. ‘Good job. It’ll come. Be patient.’ I’m glad at least one of us had faith. It is said that coaching a fit athlete is not difficult. It is only whenever you encounter hurdles, be that injury or a poor performance that the coaching really begins. Sometimes, it takes that voice in your ear just to remind you that there is no need to panic. I’ve been fit before and, if I train right, I’ll get fit again. And so, as jogs turned into runs, and runs into sessions, it was only inevitable that at some stage I would again need to throw my hat into the ring and race.
Before the Irish cross country trials, I was strangely calm. The pre-race nerves that normally kick in were nowhere to be found. I had convinced myself that I was still recovering from injury. Getting to the startline itself was a big enough result. I had placed no expectation on myself and neither had my coach. His instructions were to sit in for as long as I could. I always find it somewhat cheeky sitting on other runners. To me, winning a race, having kicked past someone who has been at the front for 9.9k, makes the victory feel hollow. It is a style of racing that I have never really enjoyed, although, as everyone knows, it normally produces the best results. And so I sat. There were the usual early attacks by other runners but the gap never grew large enough to get worried. And coming into the final lap, when it was down to Mick Clohissey and Mark Hanrahan and myself, I still felt confident. I had already far exceeded my expectations and, with the top three guaranteed selection for the European Cross, I had bought myself a further three weeks in which to get fitter. Having raced Mark and Mick several times before, I knew that I was not strong enough to be able to pull away from them both. So I sat and sat, and then sat a bit more. And thankfully, coming into the final turn, I managed to get a few metres and hold on for an unexpected win. After several months of various scans, injections and physio appointments, broken only by sparse days of training, it was nice to finally race again. It was even more enjoyable to win.
The day after the trials I flew back to London, ready for some more hard training, in the build up to this Sunday’s race. And for once, things have gone well. There has been no injury pain and no days missed. With everyone I know having appeared to have simultaneously contracted a cold, I have been overdosing on vitamin C and continuously wearing a scarf. Thankfully, my paranoia must have worked so far, as I have not even had a snuffle. I am so much stronger than what I was three weeks ago. My last hard session was two days ago in Bushy Park. On a horrible, dark, wet and windy evening, for once I had no company, no one to share the workload with. The plan was for two miles in ten minutes. A generous ninety second break followed by four one mile reps. The plan had been to hit 4.55, 4.42, 4.55, 4.38. I stood at the end of the two miles in ten minutes, soaked to the skin and freezing. Breaking a five minute mile seemed unlikely never mind under 4.40. The first mile felt like I was going all out. It took all my energy to hit 4.55. This was definitely a night for mental training, in addition to the physical benefits. Fifteen minutes later, I stood exhausted but happy. The last three miles were 4.39, 4.37, 4.35. Not superfast times by any means but it was the confidence boost I needed. I am fit, no doubt about it, I am definitely fit. I am starting to believe that I am fit enough to win this Sunday, now it is all about having the correct race. The European Cross Country is a notoriously hard race from gun to tape and the snow creates a new challenge. But after missing Zurich and not being able to run for weeks on end, there is no place I would rather be come Sunday. Whatever happens, I know I fly back to London next week ready for Christmas, which for others might mean partying. For me and my training group, Christmas, however, means a different thing. It means it is time to start training hard and running fast. The indoors are just around the corner.
The senior men’s race is at 11.58 Northern Irish time this Sunday and (as far as I know) is live on RTE and BBC red button for anyone interested.

average_runner

nobody told me wrote: »

The Irish team fly out on fri presumably a lot of the day is taken up with travelling so that leaves them sat to check out the course etc.

Amateur hour at its finest, there's people on here that go away to run marathons that give themselves more time than that.

Not racing till Sunday so Friday is plenty of time. Its only Europe and maybe an hour or 2 time zone.

pconn062

Hard to say how Fionnuala is going to get on, the course looks very tough judging by the photos I've seen, very muddy and snowy. You would imagine this will favour Britton being a strength based runner. She looked exceptionally good in DkIT a few weeks ago but had no competition in the field. I'd say she will still medal all the same.

On the men's side I can see Kevin Batt running really well, he is in super form judging by his results in the US. Pollock is in good form too and seems to be confident but I'm wondering will his short build-up catch up with him on a very tough course.

Can't see us featuring in any of the teams really, shame the US guys couldn't make in home for the U23 team.

nobody told me

Do any bookies bet on this? A pollock Britton double for an added interest. Pollock would be a huge price I'd imagine.

nobody told me

Just saw powers are 7/2 fionnula, no betting on the men's yet

ECOLII

pconn062 wrote: »

Hard to say how Fionnuala is going to get on, the course looks very tough judging by the photos I've seen, very muddy and snowy. You would imagine this will favour Britton being a strength based runner. She looked exceptionally good in DkIT a few weeks ago but had no competition in the field. I'd say she will still medal all the same.

On the men's side I can see Kevin Batt running really well, he is in super form judging by his results in the US. Pollock is in good form too and seems to be confident but I'm wondering will his short build-up catch up with him on a very tough course.

Can't see us featuring in any of the teams really, shame the US guys couldn't make in home for the U23 team.

Regarding the strength element I think this is nulified given Moreira (depending on recovery) and Steele will be the big 2 factor in Avery (again pending recovery) who is known for pushing hard. I think she will definitely be up against it as I think despite her being closer to Duarte in France recently I don't think this is an indication of huge improvement as from all reports Duarte is not in the shape she was last year.

Lewandowska might feature in colder weather with Belete probably suffering from same factor.

Regarding Pollock I would be fairly confident in him taking top Irish Spot and despite Batt's good collegiate campaign I am not 100% convinced he can match that sort of performance on a European style course. Terre Haute is fast make no mistake as well as his pedigree being on the track as opposed to roads.

Sacksian

pconn062 wrote: »

Hard to say how Fionnuala is going to get on, the course looks very tough judging by the photos I've seen, very muddy and snowy. You would imagine this will favour Britton being a strength based runner. She looked exceptionally good in DkIT a few weeks ago but had no competition in the field. I'd say she will still medal all the same.

On the men's side I can see Kevin Batt running really well, he is in super form judging by his results in the US. Pollock is in good form too and seems to be confident but I'm wondering will his short build-up catch up with him on a very tough course.

Can't see us featuring in any of the teams really, shame the US guys couldn't make in home for the U23 team.

I saw a few videos of the course that JTG put up - looks insane! Hopefully, will suit Fionnuala Britton and should make for good viewing in both senior races.

BeepBeep!

Think the weather/course is playing into Fionnuala's hands - Duarte, who likes quick/flat courses could only beat her by 3/4 seconds a few weeks back. Gemma Steel is the one to beat here I think but Fionnuala is in with a good shout.

BeepBeep!

Think the men will throw up a surprise...the course looks shocking!

Videos here...

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiWiG_1kyFt-ZrhZvidXlMg

emerald007

Anybody know if will be shown on TV and on which channels?

pconn062

emerald007 wrote: »

Anybody know if will be shown on TV and on which channels?

(Thanks rom):

BBC RB 1
Athletics: European Cross Country
Sunday 8:25am

http://tv.sky.com/tv-guide#/programme/detail/2051/9693

.....
RTE2 sudo live coverage
European Cross Country Athletics
Sunday 10:55am
http://tv.sky.com/tv-guide#/programme/detail/1252/1121

emerald007

pconn062 wrote: »

RTE2 sudo live coverage
European Cross Country Athletics
Sunday 10:55am

I wonder WHO the pundit's will be??

pistol_75

emerald007 wrote: »

I wonder WHO the pundit's will be??

I'd hazard a guess we'll see Peter Collins, Jerry & Sonia...

pconn062

Has anyone seen the videos JTG have put up? Course looks awful, and according to the lads treacherous at times. No I know cross country is meant to be tough but is there an argument in saying that courses like this are just a little stupid? For one it's in the middle of nowhere making it very hard to travel too and then you have a course covered in ice, slush and muck, which is probably going to leave a lot of runners injured. Surely better, more central locations for these championships can be found.

rom

Doesn't look that bad tbh

snailsong

Bronze for Irish women. Great 12th place for Sara Treacy, just 2 seconds off top 10.

Brutal coverage from the host broadcaster, managed to miss all the decisive moves and showed the finish sprint from head on!