Hutchinson qualifies as Britton finishes eighth

National half marathon champion Ava Hutchinson has achieved the Olympic 'A' standard for the marathon, becoming the latest Irish athlete to qualify for London 2012.

Hutchinson set a terrific new personal best of 2 hours, 35 minutes and 33 seconds when finishing fourth at the Houston marathon in America today. The qualifying mark is 2:37.

She joins her Dundrum South Dublin club-mate Linda Byrne in booking her place on the Irish Olympic team. Byrne qualified as a result of her 2:36:21 run at last year's Dublin Marathon.

The 28-year-old Hutchinson was well on track throughout the Houston event and ran consistent splits unlike at the Dublin Marathon last October when she faded in the closing stages before registering a new personal best of 2:42:48.

Meanwhile, European Cross Country champion Fionnuala Britton suffered her first defeat in five races when finishing eighth at today's IAAF Seville International Cross Country meeting.

Kenya's Linet Masai destroyed the field, breezing home over the 8km course in a winning time of 25 minutes and 42 seconds. Her arch rival Vivian Cheruiyot claimed second spot 18 seconds behind her, with Wude Ayalew from Ethiopia taking third place.

Britton clocked 26.54 when crossing the finish line in a race which was dominated by the African athletes after an even early pace. The Wicklow woman will have been disappointed to be beaten by Italy's Nadia Ejjafini who was seven seconds faster than her in seventh.