ATHLETICS: Jolene Byrne by far enjoyed the most satisfying run from an Irish perspective, her 17th-place finish in yesterday's 4.1km short-course race at the World Cross Country Championships in St Etienne proving her recent form was good enough to mix it with some of the best in the world.

The American-born athlete was followed home by Dundrum's Maria McCambridge in 34th place, while the team ended up a respectable 11th.

Byrne's time of 14 minutes two seconds left her just 47 seconds behind the race winner, Tirunesh Dibaba of Ethiopia; it also left her second-best European.

The senior men had a much harder time of it in yesterday's long-course race, with Vinnie Mulvey leading the way home in 71st place in a time of 38 minutes 52 seconds, and Mark Kenneally next best in 89th.

But with national champion Gary Murray forced to drop out, the team ended up a disappointing 19th overall.