European Cross-Country Championships 2018
European Cross-Country Championships 2018
Tilburg, Netherlands
Sunday December 9th 2018
Five Cork athletes represented Ireland in Tilburg today, and all, along with the thirty four members of the Irish squad, acquitted themselves admirably
Athletics Ireland Release
Forsyth and Tobin lead strong Irish performances at Euro Cross
Ryan Forsyth (Newcastle) and Sean Tobin (Clonmel) led strong Irish performances at the European Cross Country Championships in Tilburg, finishing fourth and tenth respectively in the Under 23 and Senior Mens races.
Ryan Forsyth Speaking After His Run
In all, four Irish athletes delivered top ten individual performances, with Emma O’Brien (Sli Cualann) 8th and Sarah Healy 9th, adding to Forsyth and Tobin’s runs.
The teams also delivered top ten performances – Under 20 women: sixth, Under 20 men: fifth, Under 23 women: 9th, Under 23 men: 6th, Senior Men: 7th and the Mixed Relay: 9th. The Senior Womens team finished just outside the top ten, in 11th place.
Under 20 Womens team
The Under 20 Womens team were agonisingly close to bronze medals, finishing three points off the podium – there was extra misfortune as, around the half-way stage, unfortunately Healy took a fall as she looked to be clipped from behind. Several athletes fell in the incident. She fought bravely to make her way back up into contention with O’Brien also in the mix.
The medal chances, individually, and for the team, slipped away but it was a good learning curve and good performances nonetheless. The team were only three points off the bronze medals
McElhinney leads U20 men to fifth
The U20 men were next over 6,300m and they produced an excellent fifth place finish in the team standings. Darragh McElhinney (Bantry) put himself in contention early on, and despite a fall, finished 16th in 18:53.
Sean O’Leary (Clonliffe Harriers) came through well to finish 18th in 19:01. Jamie Battle (Mullingar Harriers) rounded out the scoring in 21st in 19:03. Micheal Power (West Waterford) was 60th, with Fintan Stewart (City of Derry) 75th and Daire Finn (DCH) 86th.
Flanagan leads U23 women
The U23 women also race over 6,300m with conditions getting ever stickier over the technical cross country course. Eilish Flanagan (Carmen) finished 16th in 21:17 after being up in the top ten early on. Her legs were giving out at the finish but she ground it out on her European cross country debut.
The team finished 9th with Aoibhe Richardson (KCH) coming through strongly for 25th in 21:32 and Roisin Flanagan (Carmen), twin sister of Eilish, in 41st in 22:04. Fian Sweeney (DCH) followed quickly after in 43rd with Siobhra O’Flaherty (SLOT) 54th and Sorcha McAllister (Westport) 66th.
Forsyth a flying fourth
The U23 men’s 8,300m race had all the elements with Ryan Forsyth (Newcastle) agonisingly close to a medal in fourth in 23:49.
Forsyth made his intentions clear from early on getting out fast in the opening straight to lead around the tight hairpin turn.
The Newcastle athlete didn’t let up throughout and despite being detached from the leading trio, he kicked in hard at the finish and was only one second behind the bronze medal behind France’s Hugo Hay.
The team battled well too and were in the bronze medal position halfway through the race but ultimately had to settle for 6th.
Brian Fay (Raheny Shamrock) was next Irish man home in 29th in 24:47 with Paul O’Donnell (DSD) 36th in 24:58. Cathal Doyle (Clonliffe Harriers) was 51st with Jack O’Leary (Mullingar Harriers) 56th and Garry Campbell (Dunleer) 80th.
Treacy teak tough on tenth appearance
‘I love this event and it’s great to test yourself against top competition.’ Sara Treacy on her tenth @Euro_Cross where she finished 26th pic.twitter.com/ebr4qXkWZp
— Athletics Ireland (@irishathletics) 9 December 2018
Sara Treacy (Dunboyne) fought hard to finish 26th in the senior women 8,300m in 27:46 with the team finishing 11th. Treacy has battled injuries the last couple of years and was happy to be back competing against the best in Europe.
“This is where you want to be testing yourself against the best,” said Treacy. “This will give me a good kick forward.”
Ciara Mageean (UCD) was next home in 43rd in 28:08, with Michelle Finn (Leevale) 51st in 28:23 for the scoring trio. Annmarie McGlynn (Letterkenny) was next in 57th followed by Fionnuala Ross (Armagh) in 62nd and Kerry O’Flaherty (Newcastle) in 64th.
Tobin tenth in Europe
Sean Tobin on a fine tenth in the senior men’s race pic.twitter.com/mIajEZm11P
— Athletics Ireland (@irishathletics) 9 December 2018
Sean Tobin (Clonmel) finished an excellent tenth in the senior men’s 10,300m in 29:22 with the team finishing 7th.
Team captain Kevin Dooney (Raheny Shamrock) was next in 26th in 29:53 with Kevin Maunsell (Clonmel) the third scorer in 34th in 30:11. Kevin Batt (DSD) was 55, Mick Clohisey (Raheny Shamrock), making his tenth European cross appearance, was 67th followed by Damien Landers (Ennis Track) in 78th.
Mixed relay round out exciting event
The mixed relay over 5,800m was the last event of the day with Paul Robinson (St Coca’s) passing to Siofra Cleirigh Buttner (DSD), to John Travers (Donore Harriers) to Claire Tarplee (St Coca’s) where they finished 9th in 16:40 in a demolition derby style race.
It rounded out another consistent championships for Ireland to build a good platform to hosting the European Cross Country Championships in 2020. Lisbon will be next in 2019 but there is an improving repeatability of Irish performances that can help them move in to medal positions.
These performances bode well for the European Cross Country Championships next year, in Lisbon in 2019, and the following year, when Athletics Ireland hosts the event in Dublin, in 2020.
Full European Cross-Country Championship 2018 Results
Irish Results - European Cross Country Championships, Tilburg
U20 Women - 4,300m
Emma O’Brien (Sli Cualann) 8th, Sarah Healy (Blackrock) 9th, Stephanie Cotter (West Muskerry) 25th, Jodie McCann (DCH) 35th, Sophie O’Sullivan (Ballymore Cobh) 59th, Laura Nicholson (Bandon) 60th
Team: 6th
U23 Women - 6,300m
Eilish Flanagan (Carmen) 16th, Aoibhe Richardson (KCH) 25th, Roisin Flanagan (Carmen) 41st, Fian Sweeney (DCH) 43rd, Siobhra O’Flaherty (SLOT) 54th, Sorcha McAllister (Westport) 66th
Team: 9th
Senior Women - 8,300m
Sara Treacy (Dunboyne) 26th Ciara Mageean (UCD) 43rd, Michelle Finn (Leevale) 51st, Annmarie McGlynn (Letterkenny) 57th, Fionnuala Ross (Armagh) 62nd, Kerry O’Flaherty (Newcastle) 64th.
Team: 11th
Under 20 Men - 6,300m
Darragh McElhinney (Bantry) 16, Sean O’Leary 18, Jamie battle 21, Michael Power (West Waterford) 60th, Fintan Stewart (City of Derry) 75th Daire Finn (DCH) 86th
Team: 5th
Under 23 Men - 8,300m
Ryan Forsyth (Newcastle) 4th, Brian Fay (Raheny Shamrock) 29th, Paul O’Donnell (DSD) 36th, , Cathal Doyle (Clonliffe Harriers) 51st, Jack O’Leary (Mullingar Harriers) 56th, Garry Campbell (Dunleer) 80th
Team: 6th
Senior Men - 10,300m
Sean Tobin (Clonmel) 10th, Kevin Dooney (Raheny Shamrock) 26th, Kevin Maunsell (Clonmel) 34th, Kevin Batt (DSD) 55th, Mick Clohisey (Raheny Shamrock) 67th, Damien Landers (Ennis Track) 78th
Team: 7th
Mixed Relay - 5,800m
Ireland 9th - Paul Robinson (St Coca’s), Siofra Cleirigh Buttner (DSD), John Travers (Donore Harriers), Claire Tarplee (St Coca’s)
