FIONNUALA BRITTON SAYS her European Cross Country victory over the weekend end was the perfect way to put the disappointment of London 2012 behind her.
The Wicklow runner successfully defended her senior women’s title by seeing off rival Ana Dulce of Portugal in Budapest on Sunday while helping the Irish team to gold in the team event.
Speaking to Newstalk’s Off The Ball, Britton said: “It’s an unbelievable feeling to win it but to do it with your friends makes it extra special.
“For distance runners, cross country is the one time we can be a team. Team is a big part of it. When I crossed the line I could hardly believe but when I looked up and saw we had won the team was absolutely amazing.”
The double win in Hungary makes for a superb end to the year for the 28-year-old after enduring a frustrating Olympic Games. Britton recorded a personal best in the 5,000m in London but it wasn’t enough to earn her a spot in the final.
She was eager to move on from that experience and, stepped up her preparations for the Europeans with a fourth-place at the IAAF Cross Country International in Spain last month.
“I came away from the Olympics a bit disappointed and wanted to put a good end on the year,” she added.
It is the pinnacle of our sport. It’s hard to get your head back into but it was nice to have the Europeans to focus on in December. It was good to have it straight after the Olympics.”
The athletes had to deal with a snow-covered course in Budepest and Britton said that she needed to take extra caution as she hasn’t much experience running in such conditions.
“It was tough enough. Sometimes you look and think these courses aren’t made for athletes but for good pictures. It was tough even without the snow but that just added a different dimension that most of us wouldn’t have been used to.
“It’s very rutted and harder. We’re twisting a lot more on it. It’s probably more that we’re just not used to it.
It would be easier to fall and it that happens you have to get back up as quickly as possible. It could change the tactics of the whole group.”
As is often the case, there were Irish fans out in their droves to cheer on the team.
“The support out on the course was unbelievable. There was definitely more Irish people there than any other country. Everyone singing Amhran na bhFiann was great.”
