ATHLETICS NEWS:THE PROSPECTS of Irish success when the European Cross Country is staged in Dublin next month continue to strengthen, though it mostly points towards the senior women. Mary Cullen and Fionnuala Britton produced quality results over the weekend to suggest either team or individual honours can be won at the Santry Demesne on December 13th.

Cullen finished fourth at the Burgos International in Spain, leaving several of her main European rivals in her wake. Victory went to Genzebe Dibaba of Ethiopia, with Cullen just one second behind Portugal's Ines Monteiro, the only European ahead of her.

Among the challengers for the European title next month who finished behind the Sligo runner were Nuria Fernandez of Spain (eighth) and Sara Moreira of Portugal (ninth), with the big Spanish threat, Marta Dominguez, managing only 19th place.

In Belgium, Britton led home a group of Irish women in second place in the Mol International, narrowly losing out to Almensch Belete, the Ethiopian now competing for Belgium. Wicklow club-mate Deirdre Byrne also ran well to take third, with Dundrum's Linda Byrne making it three Irish finishers in the top five by finishing in fifth.

"With these positive results over the weekend the Irish women's team is definitely coming together very well," says Anne Keenan-Buckley, the Irish Cross Country team manager. "The problem is we don't have the strength in depth of some of the other countries, so we do need to get everyone fit and healthy on the start line."

Athletics Ireland have agreed the top three finishers at the National Intercounties cross country at Kilbeggan racecourse on Sunday week will be automatically selected for the Europeans.

The remaining three places for each race will be based on form and availability, with a number of US-based athletes in contention.

Róisín McGettigan would be a welcome addition to the team, but is not renowned as a cross country specialist, while Alistair Cragg hasn't yet registered any interest in the event. Martin Fagan has announced his intentions to compete, while Providence-based David McCarthy is still eligible for the under-23 race and is likely to front that challenge.

Also coming into form on the senior men's side are Mark Kenneally and Mark Christie, who finished 11th and 15th respectively in Burgos on Sunday.

Meanwhile, in a significant development for the sport in Europe, Helsinki is to stage the European Athletics Championships in 2012 - the first of the new two-year cycle for the championships.

The 2010 Championships are being staged in Barcelona next July, but rather than separate the championships by four years, the European Athletics Council will stage them every two years, even when it means putting them on in the same season as the Olympics.

However, they will take place earlier in the season than usual, and this shouldn't deter the majority of European athletes.