Jones predicts Euro gold medal for Britton

FIONNUALA BRITTON will win the European cross-country championships this year and, if not, she will certainly win them next year, according to her new coach, Chris Jones.

Jones is one of the most respected Triathlon coaches in Europe if not in the world and, after a spell with Athletics Ireland, he moved to Triathlon Ireland.

When Fionnuala Britton was looking for a coach who would turn her fortunes around after a disappointing season the Welshman fitted the bill and, since forging the relationship, she has gone from strength to strength.

She was brilliant on her seasonal cross-country debut, winning the Gerry Farnan in impressive fashion, she reclaimed the inter-counties title and was desperately unlucky not to win a medal at the European cross-country championships in Albufeira — she is a former U23 silver medallist.

She finished second in the Almond Blossom race — also on the Algarve — but it was indoors that she really impressed by hacking chunks off her pb for 3,000m.

She just failed to make it to the European indoor championships after picking up a virus but the indoors were just a means to an end as part of the plan to improve her leg speed.

“Fionnuala Britton can train all day and run all day but that’s not the answer,” her new coach insisted.

“She does not have speed and that’s what we have to drill into her. She will win the European cross-country championships this year and, if not, the year after. I’ll guarantee you one thing, she’ll make the London Olympics and she’ll run well under 15 minutes for 5,000m.” On Sunday the Wicklow woman will line up for the world cross-country championships in Punta Umbria, Spain, where the Irish team manager, Anne Keenan-Buckley, rightly points out the racing is again likely to be dominated by the Africans.

“It will provide her with an opportunity to measure her progress — she was 14th and second European in Mombasa in 2007 — she has already seen the course while on a two-week training camp with the triathletes.

“She has been running indoors this year but her aim was always the world cross-country championships,” the Irish team manager pointed out.

“The African athletes are going to dominate but if she competes like she did in Mombasa she won’t be too far away. That was a fantastic performance.

“We have just three athletes at the world championships this year. Ava Hutchinson won the trials and while she is travelling out, the world championships were not in her original plans.

“Shane Quinn goes in the junior men’s race and that will be very interesting. He has developed into a fine athlete, winning all his cross-country races this season with the exception of the Europeanchampionships and he was 12th in that.

“He is going to Providence College this year and there is a good American team in Sunday’s race so, apart from the experience he will get at this level, he will also see where he stands as regards the American athletes. From that point of view it will provide a good marker.”

The dominance of the African athletes on the race over the years has led to a number of European countries losing interest. The world championships will only be held every two years from here on.

“Maybe it will generate a bit more enthusiasm for the event,” Anne Keenan Buckley said. “As it is, it does not hold the same excitement as the European championships.” Meanwhile the race to decide the fastest man and the fastest woman in Cork will take place on Patrick Street during today’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade.

The event will feature Irish junior 400m hurdles record holder Patrick Maher, sprint hurdler Edmund O’Halloran, Cathal Owens, and Joan Healy (Bandon AC) amongst others.

Former winners of the title include Derval O’Rourke and Ailis McSweeney.