FIONNUALA IS FLYING
Wicklow star claims Antrim International
WICKLOW'S Fionnuala Britton is on an amazing winning streak in athletics at the moment.
She again mounted the winner's podium in Antrim on Saturday after winning the IAAF international cross-country in style.
This win comes hot on the heels of her equally decisive victory in the Edinburgh cross country the previous week.
In both events Fionnuala was successfully defending her titles and in both instances she adopted similar race plans, running from the front and putting it up to the rest of the field.
After breasting the tape, the Kilcoole Club member was swamped by youngsters seeking autographs, underlining the huge impact that Britton is having in the athletics world at the present time.
And now her sights are set on the world cross- country championships in Poland in March and in securing qualification for the indoor championships in Gothenburg also in March.
On the flat Antrim course on Saturday Fionnuala Britton decided to dominate from start to finish, taking the race to the rest of the field, and her plan worked a dream.
From the off, she opened up a 15 second gap on her opponents and thereafter the chasing pack found they could make little inroads into her lead.
England's marathon runner Louise Damon went in pursuit, trying to hunt the Wicklow lass down, but to little avail.
Britton romped home 15 second clear of Damon in a time of 18 minutes, 17 seconds. Kenya's Magdalyne Masai and Ireland's Linda Byrne battled it out for the bronze medal with Masai providing that little bit stronger as she slotted into third position.
But again the day belonged to Wicklow's Fionnuala Britton who is riding on the crest of an athletic wave at the moment.