Fionnuala Britton
Encyclopedia
Fionnuala Britton is an Irish
runner who specializes in the 3000 metres steeplechase.
She began her international junior career in cross country running
in 2001, highlighted by 33rd place at the 2003 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
. She won a steeplechase silver at the 2006 European Cup and also competed in the event at the European Athletics Championships, being eliminated in the heats. She took the under-23 silver medal
at the 2006 European Cross Country Championships
at the end of the year. She was fourteenth in the senior race at the 2007 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
– the second best European performer behind Jessica Augusto
(12th). She made her global track debut at the 2007 World Championships in Athletics
and was twelfth in the steeplechase final. She ended the year with a seventh place finish at the 2007 European Cross Country Championships
.
She made her Olympic debut at the 2008 Summer Games
in Beijing
, but did not make the women's steeplechase final. She came eleventh at the 2009 European Cross Country Championships
which was held in her home city of Dublin. Britton was also eleventh in the steeplechase final at the 2010 European Athletics Championships. She just missed out on a medal at the 2010 European Cross Country Championships
, finishing with the same time as bronze medallist Ana Dulce Félix
. She took second place at the Lotto Cross Cup Brussels
a week later.
In preparation for the world competition, she ran at the Almond Blossom Cross Country
in March 2011 and took second place. She managed 16th place at the 2011 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
in Punta Umbría
. She ran a personal best of 15:31.26 minutes for the 5000 metres
at the FBK Games in June then ran a steeplechase best of 9:37.60 minutes at the Adidas Grand Prix in New York. Britton represented Ireland on the track at the 2011 World Championships in Athletics
, narrowly being eliminated in the first stage of the steeplechase. In November she came third at the high-level Cross de l'Acier
cross country race.
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
runner who specializes in the 3000 metres steeplechase.
She began her international junior career in cross country running
Cross country running
Cross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...
in 2001, highlighted by 33rd place at the 2003 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
2003 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
The 31st IAAF World Cross Country Championships were held 29-30 March 2003 in Lausanne and Avenches , Switzerland.- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :...
. She won a steeplechase silver at the 2006 European Cup and also competed in the event at the European Athletics Championships, being eliminated in the heats. She took the under-23 silver medal
Silver medal
A silver medal is a medal awarded to the second place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, and contests with similar formats....
at the 2006 European Cross Country Championships
2006 European Cross Country Championships
The 13th European Cross Country Championships were held at San Giorgio su Legnano in Italy on 10 December 2006. Mohammed Farah took the title in the men's competition, while Tetyana Holovchenko won the women's race.-Men individual 9.95km:...
at the end of the year. She was fourteenth in the senior race at the 2007 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
2007 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
The 35th IAAF World Cross Country Championships were held in Mombasa, Kenya on 24 March, 2007. Four races took place, one for men, women, junior men and junior women respectively. All races encompassed both individual and team competition...
– the second best European performer behind Jessica Augusto
Jessica Augusto
Jéssica Augusto is a Portuguese runner who competes in cross country, road running and in middle-distance and long-distance track events....
(12th). She made her global track debut at the 2007 World Championships in Athletics
2007 World Championships in Athletics
The 11th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations , were held at Nagai Stadium in Osaka, Japan from 24 August to 2 September 2007...
and was twelfth in the steeplechase final. She ended the year with a seventh place finish at the 2007 European Cross Country Championships
2007 European Cross Country Championships
The 14th European Cross Country Championships were held at Toro in Spain on 9 December 2007. Serhiy Lebid took his seventh title in the men's competition and Marta Domínguez won the women's race.-Men individual 10.7km:Total 57 competitors-Men teams:...
.
She made her Olympic debut at the 2008 Summer Games
Athletics at the 2008 Summer Olympics
Athletics at the 2008 Summer Olympics were held during the last 10 days of the games, from August 15 to August 24, 2008, at the Beijing National Stadium. The Olympic sport of athletics is split into four distinct sets of events: track and field events, road running events, and racewalking...
in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
, but did not make the women's steeplechase final. She came eleventh at the 2009 European Cross Country Championships
2009 European Cross Country Championships
The 2009 European Cross Country Championships was a continental cross country running competition that was held on 13 December 2009 in Dublin, Ireland. Dublin was selected as the host city in 2007 and the event was the first time that a major European athletics championships took place in Ireland...
which was held in her home city of Dublin. Britton was also eleventh in the steeplechase final at the 2010 European Athletics Championships. She just missed out on a medal at the 2010 European Cross Country Championships
2010 European Cross Country Championships
The 2010 European Cross Country Championships was a continental cross country running competition that took place on 12 December in Albufeira, Portugal. It was the second time that the country hosted the event, building upon the 1997 edition held in Oeiras....
, finishing with the same time as bronze medallist Ana Dulce Félix
Ana Dulce Félix
Ana Dulce Félix is a long distance runner who competes in track, cross country, and road running events.Born in Azurém, Guimarães Municipality, Portugal, Félix began her career as a junior at the 2000 and 2001 IAAF World Cross Country Championships, although she did not break the top 60 runners on...
. She took second place at the Lotto Cross Cup Brussels
Lotto Cross Cup Brussels
The Lotto Cross Cup Brussels, also known as the IRIS Lotto Cross Cup, is an annual cross country running competition that takes place in mid-December in Brussels, Belgium...
a week later.
In preparation for the world competition, she ran at the Almond Blossom Cross Country
Almond Blossom Cross Country
The Almond Blossom Cross Country is an annual international cross country running competition which takes place in Albufeira, Portugal in early March. It is one of the IAAF permit meetings which serve as qualifying events for the IAAF World Cross Country Championships. It is held in co-operation...
in March 2011 and took second place. She managed 16th place at the 2011 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
2011 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
The 2011 IAAF World Cross Country Championships were held in Punta Umbría, Spain on 20 March 2011.-Preparation:The United States had expressed an interest in hosting the competition, but Punta Umbria was chosen as the host at the IAAF Council Meeting in November 2009...
in Punta Umbría
Punta Umbría
Punta Umbría is a town and municipality in the province of Huelva, part of the Spanish autonomous community of Andalusia.The Punta in its name comes from the long point going out to the sea from the beach....
. She ran a personal best of 15:31.26 minutes for the 5000 metres
5000 metres
The 5000 metres is a popular running distance also known as 5 km or 5K in American English. It is one of the track events in the Olympic Games and the World Championships in Athletics. "5000 metres" refers to racing on a track and "5K" usually refers to a roadrace or cross country event...
at the FBK Games in June then ran a steeplechase best of 9:37.60 minutes at the Adidas Grand Prix in New York. Britton represented Ireland on the track at the 2011 World Championships in Athletics
2011 World Championships in Athletics
The 13th IAAF World Championships in Athletics was an international athletics competition that was held in Daegu, South Korea. It started on 27 August 2011 and finished on 4 September 2011....
, narrowly being eliminated in the first stage of the steeplechase. In November she came third at the high-level Cross de l'Acier
Cross de l'Acier
The Cross de l'Acier is an annual cross country running competition that is held in late November in Leffrinckoucke, France. First held in 1990, it is one of the foremost competitions of its type in France. Ten races are held at the event for athletes of varying abilities...
cross country race.
Achievements
| 2005 | Universiade Athletics at the 2005 Summer Universiade The athletics competition in the 2005 Summer Universiade was held on the İzmir Atatürk Stadyumu in İzmir, Turkey, between 15 August and 20 August 2005.-Men's events:-Women's events:-Medal table:-References:* - GBR Athletics* - GBR Athletics* - FIBU... |
İzmir Izmir Izmir is a large metropolis in the western extremity of Anatolia. The metropolitan area in the entire Izmir Province had a population of 3.35 million as of 2010, making the city third most populous in Turkey... , Turkey Turkey Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe... |
11th | 3000 m st. |
| 2006 | European Championships | Gothenburg Gothenburg Gothenburg is the second-largest city in Sweden and the fifth-largest in the Nordic countries. Situated on the west coast of Sweden, the city proper has a population of 519,399, with 549,839 in the urban area and total of 937,015 inhabitants in the metropolitan area... , Sweden Sweden Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund.... |
11th | 3000 m st. 2006 European Athletics Championships – Women's 3000 metres steeplechase The women's 3000 metres steeplechase at the 2006 European Athletics Championships were held at the Ullevi on August 10 and August 12.First women's steeplechase event in European Athletics Championships... |
| 2007 | World Cross Country Championships 2007 IAAF World Cross Country Championships The 35th IAAF World Cross Country Championships were held in Mombasa, Kenya on 24 March, 2007. Four races took place, one for men, women, junior men and junior women respectively. All races encompassed both individual and team competition... |
Mombasa Mombasa Mombasa is the second-largest city in Kenya. Lying next to the Indian Ocean, it has a major port and an international airport. The city also serves as the centre of the coastal tourism industry.... , Kenya Kenya Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east... |
14th | Senior race |
| World Championships 2007 World Championships in Athletics The 11th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations , were held at Nagai Stadium in Osaka, Japan from 24 August to 2 September 2007... |
Osaka Osaka is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe... , Japan Japan Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south... |
12th | 3000 m st. 2007 World Championships in Athletics - Women's 3000 metres steeplechase The Women's 3,000 metres Steeplechase event at the 2007 World Championships in Athletics took place on August 25, 2007 and August 27, 2007 at the Nagai Stadium in Osaka, Japan... |
|
| 2008 | World University Cross Country Championships | Haute Normandie - Rouen Rouen Rouen , in northern France on the River Seine, is the capital of the Haute-Normandie region and the historic capital city of Normandy. Once one of the largest and most prosperous cities of medieval Europe , it was the seat of the Exchequer of Normandy in the Middle Ages... , France France The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France... |
2nd | U23 Cross Country |
| Olympic Games Athletics at the 2008 Summer Olympics Athletics at the 2008 Summer Olympics were held during the last 10 days of the games, from August 15 to August 24, 2008, at the Beijing National Stadium. The Olympic sport of athletics is split into four distinct sets of events: track and field events, road running events, and racewalking... |
Beijing Beijing Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's... , China |
10th (heats) | 3000 m st. | |
| 2010 | European Championships | Barcelona Barcelona Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of... , Spain Spain Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula... |
11th | 3000 m st. 2010 European Athletics Championships – Women's 3000 metres steeplechase The women's 3000 metres steeplechase at the 2010 European Athletics Championships was held at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys on 28 and 30 July.-Medalists:-Records:-Schedule:-Heat 1:-Heat 2:-Summary:-Final:-References:* *... |
Personal bests
- 1500 metres1500 metresThe 1,500-metre run is the premier middle distance track event.Aerobic endurance is the biggest factor contributing to success in the 1500 metres but the athlete also requires significant sprint speed.In modern times, the 1,500-metre run has been run at a pace faster than the average person could...
- 4:18.92 min (2006) - 3000 metres3000 metresThe 3000 metres is a popular amateur middle distance track event where 7.5 laps are completed around a 400 metre track. This event is generally classified as middle distance, but it could be classed as a long distance event in many high schools, since they do not promote races such as the 5000 and...
- 10:19.87 min (2002) - 5000 metres5000 metresThe 5000 metres is a popular running distance also known as 5 km or 5K in American English. It is one of the track events in the Olympic Games and the World Championships in Athletics. "5000 metres" refers to racing on a track and "5K" usually refers to a roadrace or cross country event...
- 15:31.26 min (2011) - 3000 metres steeplechase - 9:37.60 min (2011)