COACH Ray Treacy insists it will take a massive performance to deny home hope Mary Cullen the gold medal in tomorrow’s SPAR European cross-country championships at Santry Demesne.

WITH individual and team medals within reach, Ireland’s cross-country team manager, Anne Keenan-Buckley, made no effort to hide her excitement when she introduced some of her athletes at Santry yesterday ahead of Sunday’s SPAR European cross-country championships.

MARY CULLEN managed to win back some pride for Ireland with a fine fourth place in the senior women’s race at the SPAR European Cross-Country Championships in Brussels yesterday as Martin Fagan could only watch from his knees as his medal hopes faded after a crashing fall in the senior men’s race.

Mary Cullen was the story of the Irish today at the European Cross Country Championships in Brussels as she took an excellent fourth position in the senior women’s race.