Power opts out of European cross-country championships

SEAMUS POWER has been named as a reserve on the senior men’s team for the European cross-country championships but said last evening that he won’t be going.

Power won the national inter-counties cross-country title in the Clare singlet nine times in succession and he carried the colours of Kilmurry/Ibrickane to victory four times in the national inter-club championships.

Despite the fact that he could not train for three weeks with an injury to his quad he finished seventh in the national inter-counties championships on Sunday to get his name on the list for Albufeira.

“But I am not going,” he confirmed. “I had this problem with my quad and I did absolutely nothing in the three weeks leading up to Sunday’s race. I was very happy with my seventh place because there were a lot of young lads behind me who have been training a lot harder than me.

“I felt I ran well in the Gerry Farnan but I went to Spain a couple of weeks ago and there was a world class field there and I felt I was sprinting all the way just to keep up.

“I love competing on the domestic scene and I wasn’t a long way off the mark on Sunday. But if I was to go to Albufeira I would need to be competitive from start to finish.

A former scholarship student at East Tennessee State, he competed in the European championships nine times, was placed 13th, 14th, 17th and 19th and was on the bronze medal team in Malmo in 2002.

A place was left vacant on the senior team for Mullingar man, Mark Fagan but he declined. Garry Thornton has replaced him.

The U23 team have a very promising lineup with Dave McCarthy one of three athletes based in the States.. He is joined by Leevale’s Ciarán Ó Lionáird who was 18th in last week’s NCAA cross-country championships and Dubliner David Rooney — who was 50th in that race.

They are joined by the top three from the Woodies DIY national inter-counties championships in Derry at the weekend, Dubliners Brendan O’Neill and John Coughlan and Michael Mulhare from North Laois.

Fionnuala Britton (Sli Chualann) is a former European under-23 silver medallist and has rediscovered her form in recent weeks with big wins in the Gerry Farnan and inter-counties races and a very impressive fourth placing in Spain. On current form she could make a big impact over the firm surface in Albufeira.

Shane Quinn (Ferrybank), son of the Olympian and steeplechase record holder, Brendan Quinn, is another who has returned to form and he too, will have a big run on December 12.

Junior Men: S Quinn, E Jennings, J Travers, P Robinson, D McBrearty, K Dooney. Reserves: R McDermott, L Brady.

Junior Women: C Mageean, E Mitchell, L Behan, F McKenna, A O’Donoghue U23 Men: B O’Neill, J Coughlan, M Mulhare, D McCarthy, C Ó Lionard, D Rooney. Reserves: D Flynn, S Scullion U23 Women: S Louise Treacy, B Woods, B Treston.

Senior Men: J Sweeney, M Christie, D Mulhare, B Farrell, M Kenneally, G Thorton. Reserve: S Power.

Senior Women: F Britton, E Lee, S O’Doherty, A Hutchinson, K Harty, H Murphy. Reserves: A Talty, C Durkan.