British Dominate At Euros

14 DEC2010

Charlotte Purdue led the way as Great Britain and Northern Ireland team topped the medal table at Sunday's SPAR European Cross Country Championships in Albufeira, Portugal for the eighth successive year. Purdue was the only individual gold medallist as the team gathered won four gold, one silver and two bronze overall from senior, under 23 and under 20 races.

The immense talent of 19 year old Purdue was once again evident as she took gold in the junior women's 3970m race - the opening race of the day - to set the benchmark. The diminutive and spirited Aldershot, Farnham and District athlete, fourth in the Commonwealth Games 10,000m and UK junior record holder over the distance, had finished on the podium in two previous editions of the Euro Cross with bronze in Toro (2007) and silver in Brussels (2008).

Only injury prevented her improving that record 12 months ago in Dublin. "I've been waiting for this for a long time," she said after bursting clear with a lap to go to secure an emphatic 17-second victory and lead the GB & NI junior women to team gold. "I was third in Toro and Steph (Twell) won, and I was second in Belgium and Steph won again. I was injured last year and I was so disappointed to sit and watch it on TV.

"I've been focusing on European Cross since Delhi and I'd have been disappointed with anything but gold. Mick (Purdue's coach, Mick Woods) said to me before the start: "There's a medal there with your name on it," and that was going through my mind right through the race."

Making it two Brits from three on the podium, Emelia Gorecka, runner up to Purdue in the UK Trial race, took a well-deserved bronze (13:00): "I suppose I was quite sensible at the start but I just couldn't get a clear route out. I followed Charlie because I thought she'd get out there ok but we both got caught up. I didn't push too early but once I was in a medal position I didn't want to let it go."

Aldershot, Farnham and District - and in particular coach Mick Woods - enjoyed further individual medal success as Emma Pallant took bronze in the under-23 women's 6070m race to win her first major international cross country medal and lead the team to gold in that age group.

The junior men's team also took gold, whilst the senior women's team won silver behind the host country to complete the British medal tally.