Kilcoole’s Fionnuala Makes Sporting History

To no one’s great surprise, Fionnuala McCormack has been selected as part of the Irish team in the upcoming European Cross Country championships.

What may come as a surprise to many though is the simple fact that this latest selection makes the Kilcoole athlete Ireland’s most capped international woman of all time.

Overtaking the equally-wonderful Sonia O’Sullivan, McCormack now has 35 international selections to her name. Which is pretty darn spectacular.

Mind you, next month’s European Cross Country championships in the Slovak town of Samorín is Fionnuala’s 15th appearance there – which also just happens to be a new record.

The 33-year-old Kilcooler has been in fine fettle of late, and Olympic gold is clearly within McCormack’s grasp. Especially when you consider her form over the last seven years – titles in 2011 and ’12, three fourth-place finishes, one fifth and one sixth.

We wish Fionnuala all the best in Samorín. She just has to imagine that finishing line is the very last 84 home…