Athletics Ireland announce selection policy for World Cross Country Championships...

Ever since the Irish womens team won the European Cross Country Championships last December, there has been some debate as to whether there would be a team sent to the World Cross Country Championships in Poland in March. After some delay, Athletics Ireland have finally announced their selection policy...http://hp.athleticsireland.ie/images/spolicy/2013/WXC/13_WXCPolicy_500213.pdf

Athletics Ireland said in a statement...."The Selectors will consider a team(s) for the IAAF World Cross Country Championship who have the potential to achieve a top 8 team finish. For each team considered (by age category)--the first four finishers from the 2012 European Championships will be considered pre-selected."

Essentially, that means that Fionnuala Britton, Linda Byrne, Ava Hutchinson and Lizzie Lee are on the team with space for two more. Mary Cullen from North Sligo who recently won the Axa Raheny 5 mile road race in a new course record time of  25:55 is also likely to get the nod. A total of eight athletes can be selected but only six may take part in the race.

The World Cross Country Championships will take place in Bydgoszcz, Poland on Sunday, the 24th of March.