Nadia turns on Power for Ireland in Euros
NADIA Power turned in a great performance to help the Ireland Mixed Relay team to seventh place at the SPAR European Cross Country Championships in Lisbon on Sunday.
The Templeogue athlete led the team out over the first 1500m and handed over to Donore Harriers man, John Travers in a superb fifth place.
John Travers, Nadia Power, Amy O'Donoghue and Eoin Pierce.
Travers turned in a good run over a tough, hilly circuit, but was overtaken by top-class athletes from France and Belgium and set to Amy O’Donoghue (Emerald AC) off in seventh.
O’Donoghue managed to move back up to sixth with Eoin Pierce (Clonliffe Harriers) running a 4.40 lap to bring the team home in seventh place with an overall time of 18.40.
“It was my first time competing for Ireland at senior level and I outdid my expectations” Power told The Echo.
“It’s given me confidence that I can make that step up to senior level sooner than I expected” she said.
A superb performance at last month’s University Road Race Championships where she ran the fastest mile and helped DCU to second place,went a long way to seeing Power secure her place on the Ireland squad.
Yet the highlight of her year came in July when she captured a brilliant bronze medal at the European Under 23 Championships in Gavle, Sweden.
Also at the European CC Championships, DSD’s Eimear Maher (Dundrum South Dublin AC) came home 85th as the Ireland Women’s Under 20 team finished up 11th.
The squad was led home by Jodie McCann (Dublin City Harriers) in 46th with Aoife O’Cuill (St. Coca’s AC) 62nd, Sarah Kelly (Inishowen) 77th, Danielle Donegan (Tullamore Harriers) 84th and Maeve Gallagher (Swinford) 93rd.
TAGS sports
