Fionnuala’s Euro bid ends in frustration

She ran her heart out, just like always, but as has increasingly been the case for Fionnuala McCormack at the European Cross Country, it just wasn’t enough.

The 33-year-old toed the line for the 15th time at this event yesterday, but on a freezing windswept racecourse here in Samorin, Slovakia, her medal ambitions had to quickly be put on ice.

McCormack had won the senior women’s title in 2011 and 2012, but in recent years had been frustrated by a series of near-misses — owing as much to the presence of Kenyan athletes running for Turkey as it had by any decline in form.