Ireland have some genuine medal hopes

Athletics/European Cross Country Championships:Ireland will be represented by the maximum of 36 athletes at the European Cross Country championships in Toro, Spain on Sunday week, entering full teams in all six grades of races. There are some potential medallists among them, namely the men's under-23 team, and also Fionnuala Britton in the senior women's race.

Britton won the silver medal in last year's under-23 race - with the winner subsequently banned for failing a drugs tests - and judging by her victory in Sunday's National Inter-counties at the Curragh, Britton is seamlessly moving into the senior grade.

There is also the chance of the senior women's team coming close to medals, if everyone runs to their full potential. Joining Britton is her Wicklow team-mate Deirdre Byrne, who finished second on Sunday, along with Pauline Curley and Maria McCambridge and two US-based runners, Mary Cullen and Jolene Byrne. Irish steeplechase record holder Roisin McGettigan was not available.

The senior men's team will be led by Gary Murray, who won back the Inter-counties title on Sunday after a two-year absence. As expected, US-based Alistair Cragg has not made himself available, but there is still some real quality in Martin Fagan, who has been training at altitude in Arizona. Gareth Turnbull was automatically selected on the back on his second place finish at the Inter-counties, but has since declined his place, which means the next eligible athlete - Alan McCormack - is likely to get the call-up. The team is completed by Vinnie Mulvey, Joe McAllister and Colm Rooney.

The men's under-23 team have real medal ambitions, given it is essentially the same team that took fourth last year. Now a year older, they'll be led by Mark Christie, third in Sunday's race, and the promising Joe Sweeney, along with US-based Andrew Ledwith, who, in 32nd, was the best Irish finisher at the recent NCAA cross country championships.

The women's under-23 team will be led by the promising Linda Byrne, who was third in the senior race on Sunday, while the junior men's team, led by John Coghlan, also look capable of mixing it with the best in Europe.

Finally, the junior women's team features the highly promising Ffrench-O'Carroll twins, Charlotte and Rebecca, with Charlotte winning the junior title on Sunday just ahead of her sister, and they will both be in contention at this level.

"This is a very strong team," says Irish team manager Anne Keenan-Buckley, "a lot stronger than last year and we managed to medal through Fionnuala, which was fantastic. This year we have several genuine medal hopes and with many of these athletes in top form there is no reason why we can't come home with a medal again."