from Northern Ireland Athletics Newly crowned European Champion Yelling and Olympic 5000m finalist Juan Luis Barrios are favourites for Saturday’s Antrim International Cross Country at the Greenmount Campus (first international event at 13:40pm).
This IAAF event is organised and promoted by Athletics Northern Ireland and sponsored by Antrim Borough Council and McCain.
Just over a month ago, 36 year old Yelling caused a major upset in the European Cross Championship in Dublin when she destroyed the elite field with a super display of front running. This run was all the more remarkable as she has just returned to the sport following a one year retirement period. However her recent achievements (4th in Edinburgh 2 weeks ago behind 3 Africans) have again established her as the top British cross country runner.
Yelling will however face determined opposition from two Irish women who are out to make amends for below par performances in Dublin. Sligo’s European indoor bronze medallist Mary Cullen appeared to buckle under the weight of rostrum expectations in Dublin and trailed home in a disappointing 12th position. At Antrim she will be aiming to produce a run more accurately reflect the talent she showed with her 4th place in the Europeans just over a year ago.
Another contender should be Deidre Byrne who despite a poor Dublin run will be out to repeat her gusty performance in last year’s Antrim event when she almost over took winner Stephanie Twell in the last few yards.
Portugal’s Ana Dulce Felix has withdrawn but other names in a high quality field include British European age medallists Jessica Sparke and Kate Avery, plus Ireland’s Fionnuala Britton and Portugal’s Analia Rosa who were 11th and 14th respectively in Dublin. The NI team includes Gladys O’Neill and Kerry Harty.
While the woman’s 5.6km event has captured most interest in the 33rd year of this meeting the Men’s 8K race now includes Mexican Juan Luis Barrios whose 5th place recently in Edinburgh was ahead of all European opposition including 8 time champion Sergey Lebid. Beijing 5000m finalist Barrios is now a clean favourite for Antrim although he will need to keep a wary eye on Kenya’s Mike Kigen who has previously finished 5th in the World Cross Country.
Also to the fore will be Blackheath’s Mike Skinner who was top British finisher in 8th place at Edinburgh plus Aldershot’s Andy Vernon who won in Cardiff last weekend. The top group also include Mitch Goose who led the British U23 team to silver medals in Dublin plus the Eritrean pair of Tewelde and Mengisteab.
The NI team will be lead by North Belfast’s Steven Scullion who had an excellent 5th place in Cardiff along with Seeley road race winner Joe McAlister.
The event is one of eleven IAAF permitted cross country races in the world and is part of the UK McCain Cross Challenge Series. The well-established series is the focus of the domestic endurance running scene over the winter months. For full timetable and information on the event visit www.niathletics.org
Timetable attached below: