Gerry Brady

12 July, 2009

Web results: http://www.emrc2009telfes.org/
Junior women: http://www.flickr.com/photos/24280411@N06/sets/72157621339382765/
Junior men: http://www.flickr.com/photos/24280411@N06/sets/72157621340555277/
Senior women: http://www.flickr.com/photos/24280411@N06/sets/72157621467682744/
Senior men: http://www.flickr.com/photos/24280411@N06/sets/72157621342676655/
General: http://www.flickr.com/photos/24280411@N06/sets/72157621343167747/

The four Irish teams and athletes performed very well at the European championships in Telfes Austria. The courses were long and steep and the weather cool to warm. The courses had steep last kilometres to the summit finish at 2260 metres which tested the resolve of the athletes.

First off were the junior women at nine o'clock. The three Irish juniors had all ran on the team that placed joint third two weeks earlier in the international youths race. They all ran well again and packed very closely to finish within 45 seconds of each other for 12th team in the inaugural European championship for juniors. Aine McCann (Mourne Runners) was 26th just ahead of Niamh Denny (DSD) in 27th and Sinead Cronin (Celtic DCH) in 31st. The race was dominated by Turkey who had a 1-2-3 to finish ahead of Romania and Great Britain.

Similarly three of the junior men had ran in the youths race and they ran well here again with Michael Treacy (Rathfarnham) having a remarkable run to finish 37th overall. The course had a hard two kilometres climb followed by five fast kilometres where the Irish made ground before the final two and a half kilometres on steep single track. James Speight (Omagh Harriers) was 49th, James Griffin (St. Laurence O´Toole) 52nd and Kian Jennings (DSD) 55th. Turkey again won the individual race through Yusuf Alici but Italy won the junior men´s team giving signs of future senior champions. Norway were second team ahead of Great Britain.

The senior women ran the same course as the junior men. Donna Mahon (Rathfarnham) had a great run to finish 45th which represented further improvement on her debut run in 2008. Mags Greenan (Clonliffe) ran solidly in 55th and debutante international Helen White (Sportsworld) finished strongly for 58th position and Alwynne Shannon (Newcastle) 63rd. Italy won the team title ahead of Switzerland and Great Britain. Martina Strahl from Switzerland won by almost one minute from Italian Valentina Belotti and 2008 World Trophy winner Andrea Mayr.

A large field faced the senior men starter. Over the first three kilometres Brian MacMahon (Clonliffe) was running in the top 15 but he lost some ground on a two kilometres climb through the woods and then largely held his own over the second half of the race to finish 36th. Mark Ryan ran a great race to finish 42nd just over a minute behind MacMahon and Kevin Keane (Rathfarnham) was less than a minute behind in 47th position and was gaining ground again after the middle flatter kilometres. Peter O´Farrell (Rathfarnham) improved on his 2008 debut to finish 71st. This gave Ireland a sound 12th place in the team race which was won yet again by Italy. France performed well for silver medals ahead of Turkey. The 2008 winner Ahmet Arslan retained his title ahead of Italian Marco de Gasperi and Swiss Sebastien Epiney.

Junior women individual
1. Derya Altintas (Tur) 23:15
2. Elif Karabulut (Tur) 23:20
3. Yasemin Cun (Tur) 23:29
26. Aine McCann 26:16
27. Niamh Denny 26:30
31. Sinead Cronin 27:01

Junior women team
1. Turkey 3 (1,2)
2. Romania 12 (4,8)
3. Great Britain 15 (6,9)
12. Ireland 53 (26,27)

Junior men individual
1. Yusuf Alici (Tur) 50:29
2. Xavier Chevrier (Ita) 50:44
3. Candide Pralang (Sui) 51:39
37. Michael Treacy 58:15
49. James Speight 61:29
52. James Griffin 64:56
55. Kian Jennings 66:35

Junior men team
1. Italy 20 (2,8,10)
2. Norway 26 (6,9,11)
3. Great Britain 32 (5,13,14)

Senior women individual
1. Martina Strahl (Sui) 54:39
2. Valentina Belotti (Ita) 55:28
3. Andrea Mayr (Aut) 56:55
45. Donna Mahon 65:40
55. Mags Greenan 69:03
58. Helen White 70:33
63. Alwynne Shannon 81:31

Senior women team
1. Italy 16 (2,4,10)
2. Switzerland 19 (1,6,12)
3. Great Britain 34 (8,9,17)
16. Ireland 158 (45,55,58)

Senior men individual
1. Ahmat Aslan (Tur) 58:26
2. Marco de Gasperi (Ita) 59:09
3. Sebastien Epiney (Sui) 59:19
36. Brian MacMahon 65:07
42. Mark Ryan 66:18
47. Kevin Keane 67:09
71. Peter O'Farrell 72:59

Senior men team
1. Italy 17 (2,6,9)
2. France 20 (5,7,8)
3. Turkey 32 (1,15,16)
12. Ireland 125 (36,42,47)