European Championships 2015

04 July, 2015 - Gerry Brady

Ireland was represented in both senior races in the European championships in Porto Moniz, Portugal. The races were held on an uphill course with the hard work in the first two-thirds of the course. Sarah McCormack and Sarah Mulligan both picked up three places in the last two kilometres to finish 16th and 19th respectively. Both runners were around 12% behind the winner Andrea Mayr (AUT). Mayr won by well over two minutes and if you exclude her then the Irish runners were around 7% behind the silver medalist. For McCormack it was a solid run but around three minutes off the medals and well off her eight place finish in 2012.

Brian MacMahon was a late withdrawal from the team when a recent injury reasserted itself. In the circumstances the senior men did reasonably well to finish 12th team. Ian Conroy had his best ever performance in 32nd but for much of the race he was running in around 20th before losing a minute in the last few kilometres. He was just over five minutes or 8% behind the Norwegian winner Johan Bugge.

Great Britain had an excellent championships with team gold in the senior women’s race, silver medals in the senior men’s race, and bronze medals in the junior men’s race. Traditionally the junior women’s race is their best bet but Germany performed well to win both the individual and team golds.

Junior Women (4 km / 400m ascent, 39 finishers)
1. Sarah Kistner (GER) 21:26
2. Michaela Stranska (CZE) 22:10
3. Elsa Racasan (FRA) 22:14

Junior Women team (9 teams)
1. Germany (1,7,11) 19
2. Czech Republic (2,4,16) 22
3. Turkey (5,6,12) 23

Junior Men (8.25 km / 850m ascent, 41 finishers)
1. Stian Overgaard Aarvik (NOR) 48:17
2. Abdullah Yorulmaz (TUR) 49:03
3. Mustafa Goksel (TUR) 49:08
5. Maximilian Nicholls (GBR) 51:18
6. Jacob Adkin (GBR) 51:27

Junior Men team (9 teams)
1. Turkey (2,3,10) 15
2. Italy (4,7,8) 19
3. Great Britain (5,6,14) 25

Senior Women (8.25 km / 850m ascent, 52 finishers)
1. Andrea Mayr (AUT) 50:40
2. Eli Anne Dvergsdal (NOR) 53:05
3. Emma Clayton (GBR) 53:36
16. Sarah McCormack (IRL) 56:56
21. Sarah Mulligan (IRL) 57:15
50. Laura Shaughnessy (IRL) 01:10:48

Senior Women team (12 teams)
1. Great Britain (3,6,9) 18
2. Austria (1,4,18) 23
3. France (8,13,17) 38
8. Ireland (16,21,50) 87

Senior Men (11.85 km / 1250m ascent, finishers)
1. Johan Bugge (NOR)
2. David Schneider (SUI)
3. Alex Baldaccini (ITA)
4. Robbie Simpson (GBR)
5. Andrew Douglas (GBR)
. Mark Ryan (IRL)
. Ian Conroy (IRL)
. James Kevan (IRL)

Senior Men team (teams)
1. Italy (3)
2. Great Britain (4,5,)
3. Switzerland (2,)
. Ireland ()