FIONNUALA MCCORMACK HAS become the first Irishwoman to qualify for five Olympic Games.
The 39-year-old ran the Valencia Marathon in 2:26:19 this morning, finishing inside the Paris 2024 automatic qualifying time of 2:26:50.
McCormack crossed the line in 34th position, with Ethiopia’s Worknesh Degefa winning it out in 2:15:51.
Wicklow native McCormack, who gave birth to her third child earlier this year, previously competed in the 3,000m steeplechase at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, the 5,000m and 10,000m at London 2012, and undertook the marathon at both Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020.
She returned to racing in October, clocking 1:10.13 and finishing 13th at the Valencia Half Marathon, and is set to compete at her 18th European Cross Country Championships in Brussels next Sunday.
