Athletics Ireland – News – Another Top Class Run from Fionnuala Britton in Brussels

Fionnuala Britton put in another brilliant cross country performance today, just a week after her excellent 4th place finish at the European Cross Country Championships in Portugal.

Britton gained some measure of compensation for being just squeezed out of the medals at that event when she turned the tables on two of the three runners who finished ahead of her at the IAAF Cross Cup event in Belgium today.

Britton beat the two Portuguese athletes that were first and third in the Europeans last Sunday. Jessica Augusto and Dulce Felix (who was given the same time as Britton in Albufeira), finished well behind her in today’s event at Park Van Laken in Brussels, when she chased home the Kenyan winner, Caroline Chepkwony who won in 20 minutes 35 seconds.

, with the Euro Cross Champion Augusto only sixth and bronze medallist Felix well back in 16th place. The Belgian champion Veerle Dejaeghere was seventh in 21:00.

“I suppose it’s a bit sweet to get some measure of revenge but it still does not make up for last Sunday” said the Wicklow runner.
“I suppose I was even more determined today, but to be honest from the halfway point I did not see either Augusto or Felix and I was concentrating in keeping with the Kenyan.
“I was still with her with a half a mile or so to go, but then just got away from me in the end. I do feel a little better now and it’s a good end to the year for me, but there are some very good races coming up in the New Year.”

Britton can now expect to be invited to the top class IAAF invitational cross country event in Edinburgh on January 6th 2011, and compete again with the very best in the world.

In the men’s race, Sergiy Lebid of the Ukraine followed up his record 9th win in the Europeans last Sunday by winning the men’s race in Brussels today, when he beat a string of top class Kenyans, including Isaiah Koech.

SENIOREN VROUWEN – SENIORS DAMES 6000m

1 CHEPKWONY CAROLINE KEN – 20.35
2 BRITTON FIONUALLA IRE 20.37
3 JEPLETING PRISCA KEN 20.45
4 BELETE ALMENSCH ETH VAC 20.46
5 CHEROTICH PURITY KEN 20.50
6 AUGUSTO JESSICA POR 20.57
7 DEJAEGHERE VEERLE BEL AVR 21.00
8 CHEMTAI ESTHER KEN 21.04
9 VANDEN BEMPT SIGRID BEL DCLA 21.06
10 SCHENKEL SANDRA BEL DCLA 21.09

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