. ▁However , ▁she ▁gu ided ▁her ▁team ▁at ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 2 ▁European ▁Cross ▁Country ▁Championships ▁to ▁a ▁silver ▁team ▁medal . ▁At ▁the ▁World ▁Student ▁Games ▁that ▁year ▁she ▁managed ▁to ▁win ▁bronze ▁in ▁the ▁cross ▁country . ▁A ▁second ▁win ▁at ▁the ▁O var ▁Half ▁Mar athon ▁in ▁October ▁was ▁soon ▁followed ▁by ▁a ▁win ▁in ▁Az amb u ja ▁which ▁made ▁her ▁the ▁ 1 5   km ▁national ▁champion . ▁ ▁She ▁did ▁not ▁break ▁into ▁the ▁top ▁thirty ▁at ▁either ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 2 ▁or ▁ 2 0 0 3 ▁World ▁Cross ▁Country ▁Championships . ▁She ▁represented ▁Portugal ▁at ▁the ▁Olympics ▁for ▁the ▁first ▁time ▁at ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 4 ▁Ath ens ▁Games . ▁Running ▁in ▁the ▁ 5 0 0 0 ▁metres , ▁she ▁performed ▁poor ly ▁and ▁finished ▁ 1 8 th ▁with ▁ 1 6 : 0 3 . 7 5 ▁– ▁fifty ▁seconds ▁slower ▁than ▁her ▁best ▁that ▁season . ▁After ▁finishing ▁just ▁outside ▁the ▁top ▁ 2 5 ▁run ners ▁at ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 5 ▁World ▁Cross ▁Country ▁Championships , ▁she ▁experiment ed ▁with ▁a ▁switch ▁to ▁the ▁ste e ple ch ase . ▁She ▁finished ▁in ▁ 1 3 th ▁place ▁in ▁the ▁ 3 0 0 0   m ▁ste e ple ch ase ▁at ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 5 ▁World ▁Championships ▁in ▁Athletics . ▁The ▁next ▁two ▁years ▁saw ▁her ▁career ▁st all : ▁after ▁a ▁poor ▁ 6 4