Women sweep to victory in Brussels

WHILE the Irish competitors in the Flora London Marathon were having a disastrous day on Sunday the Irish women’s team at the Ekiden Relays in Brussels were enjoying a profitable weekend with a sweeping victory while the men’s team finished in second place.

The team comprised of Louise Cavanagh from UCC athletic club, Niamh O’Sullivan, from Tralee, Ann Marie Larkin from Tullamore, American-born international Joelene Byrne, and Catriona McGranaghan and Clodagh McCool from Donegal.

Yesterday Patsy McGonagle, part of the cross-country management team who put the squad together, said their decision to send teams was vindicated.

“I am determined that all invitations should be taken up,” he said. “OK, we had a lot of problems putting this team together but now it has proved very worthwhile.”

“In that respect it will have knock-on affect and it will encourage the sport domestically. Athletes will know that if they compete in our national championships there will be something for them at the end of the road if they don’t make the teams for the world cross-country championships or the European championships.”

The men’s squad saw the return of John Downes, a former national cross-country champion in both Ireland and England, to the international arena where he joined Rob Connolly, Paul McNamara from Galway, Tristin Druet, the French-born Sligo athlete, Mark Kenneally and Conor McGee and they finished second.

Rosemary Ryan was back in action on Sunday when she won the national 10k road championships in Sligo to ensure that she will go in next year as defending champion when her home club, Bilboa, will host the event.

But she was looking further ahead to Stanford the weekend after next when she will compete in a 10,000m race on the track. She is hoping to achieve the Olympic qualifying standard at either 5,000m or 10,000m.

“I’m not quite sure if I am in that kind of shape (41:23) right now but at least this race will tell me exactly where I am at,” she said. “I know I still have a lot to do but it is important to know where I am at as well.

“This is usually a pretty fast race and I believe that Sonia O’Sullivan could be in it. A lot of the Americans compete there and the fact that it is an invitational event means that there is also a fair number of foreign athletes as well.”

The Nissan International Games will be staged in conjunction with the official opening of the new track in Sligo on May 30 and will be promoted by Sligo Athletic Board in conjunction with Sligo Institute of Technology.