Cullen, Fagan lead Irish charge

WE’RE ABOUT to find out exactly how beneficial home advantage is in cross country. Fourth last year, Mary Cullen is geared up – and talked up – to lead Ireland’s medal challenge at tomorrow’s European championships in Santry, but no one is saying it will be easy. Sometimes, in these situations, any medal is as good as gold.

Although defending champion Hilda Kibet is not running, Portugal’s Jessica Augusto and Ines Monteiro, second and third last year, have returned with real intent. Cullen will need to produce something special to beat them – and that, hopefully, is where the home advantage will kick in for the Sligo athlete.

“I know I can’t take anything for granted, because medals are always hard to come by,” she says. “But this event has been building up for six months now, and I’ve really been focused on it. Preparations have gone very well, and the fact that it is on home ground will be a huge advantage. We know the course, and I think it will suit us.”

Not that it’s a three-woman race: another Portuguese, Ana Dulce Felix, is much improved this year, as is Spain’s Rosa Maria Morati and Adrienne Herzog from the Netherlands.

There’s a bronze medal for the taking in the women’s team race if the leading four run to their best.

The senior men’s challenge will be fronted by Martin Fagan, who also likes to front-run, but is planning more conservative tactics to maximise the chances of a team medal. If Alistair Cragg, Andrew Ledwith and Mark Kenneally run well it is possible, and again home advantage may tip the result.

But the individual title is almost certain to be decided between eight-time winner Serhiy Lebid of Ukraine and Britain’s Mo Farah.

There hasn’t been much talk of medals in the junior and under-23 races, but they’re not impossible, with Ciara Mageean likely to produce a typically fearless run in the junior women.

SUNDAY SCHEDULE: Junior Women 10.15, Junior Men 11.0, Under-23 Women 11.40, Under-23 Men 12.25, Senior Women 13.15, Senior Men 14.10.

On TV: RTÉ 2 (11.30-15.10)