Leevale athletes Lizzie Lee and Michelle Finn join Fionnuala McCormack Caroline Crowley (Crusaders), Kerry O’Flaherty (Newcastle), and Ciara Durkan (Skerries) on the Irish women’s team which plans to back up last year’s bronze finish with a strong team performance at the European Cross Country Championships in Hyeres, France this Sunday.
Only Michelle remains from the bronze medal-winning team from last year but her club mate Lizzie was on the gold-medal winning team in Budapest in 2012. Lizzie has also qualified for Rio in the marathon and will be looking to put strength to good use in France. Michelle and Kerry O’Flaherty have Olympic standards in the steeplechase and with logs set to be laid out on the route, they will be looking to use their steepling technique to positively affect the team result.
Ryan Creech makes his senior international debut on the men’s team with team leader Mick Clohisey (Raheny Shamrock).
We wish all three athletes every success in this great challenge.
The event will be aired live on RTE 2 from 11:45am; don’t miss it.