Veale ups pace as juniors hit the ground running in Bristol

WORLD youth racewalking champion Kate Veale (West Waterford), finished third in the junior women’s race at the prestigious McCain UK Cross Challenge in Bristol over the weekend.

It is not unusual for the Dungarvan schoolgirl to switch to cross-country in the off-season — she represented Ireland at schools international level — but what was amazing was her performance in her first big race of the season.

The Irish junior team also boasted strong performances from Mary Mulhare (North Laois), who finished sixth, and Emma Mitchell (Banbridge), who was 10th. Liam Brady (Tullamore Harriers) finished second in the junior men’s race with Stephen Kerr (Armagh) fourth, Kevin Dooney (Raheny Shamrock AC) fifth and Sean Tobin (Clonmel AC) ninth to round off a great day for Irish athletics.

Fionnuala Britton (Kilcoole AC) launched her international season in Spain, finishing sixth in the VIII Cross de Atapuerca in Burgos on Sunday where she was first European over the line. The race was won by Kenya’s 2009 sportswoman of the year Linet Masai (Kenya), a member of the Ricky Simms group and silver medallist at this year’s world cross-country championships.

Britton, who has already qualified for the steeplechase at next year’s Olympics, set the early pace for the 7.839km contest before being reeled in, finishing one minute 22 seconds behind Masai, who won in 24:20.

The result puts Britton up with the favourites for next month’s European cross-country championships in Slovenia. Her Irish teammate Kerry Harty finished 22nd in the same race while Michael Mulhare was the best of the Irish in the men’s race in 34th position.

David McCarthy (Providence College/West Waterford), who led Ireland to the I23 team title at last year’s European cross-country championships, finished second to Leonard Korir (Iona College) in the Regional cross-country championships. Shane Quinn (Ferrybank AC), who joined McCarthy at Providence College this year, finished 17th while Charlotte Ffrench O’Carroll (Dundrum/South Dublin) was seventh in the women’s race to record her highest placing since joining Ray Treacy’s squad.

Last year, Ciaran Ó Lionaird, who later made the final of the 1500m at the World Championships in Daegu, was setting the country alight for Florida State and last weekend Brendan O’Neill (Dundrum/South Dublin), who is spending a year with the Seminoles, finished fourth in the South Region championships.