European CrossCountry bronze medal for Scot Andy Butchart

Dunblane runner delighted with third place in Slovakia

Dunblane athlete Andrew Butchart claimed an individual bronze as the Great Britain & N Ireland squad topped the overall team standings at the European Cross-Country Championships in Samorin, Slovakia.

The world and Olympic 5,000m finalist took up the early running following the 2km marker alongside team colleague Ben Connor and Spain’s Adel Mechaal.

An early fall saw Turkish runner Aras Kaya, the 2016 champion, try to claw back a 12-second deficit at the 5km halfway point.

Mechaal stole a four-metre lead with 2km remaining as another Turk, Kaan Kigen Özbile,n moved into second ahead of Butchart.

With one lap to go Özbilen made his move, forging ahead over the final lap to win in 29 minutes 35 seconds with Mechaal following home in 29.54.

Central AC’s Butchart finished third in a time of 30.00 with Connor hanging on to finish sixth in 30.08.

A 24th place finish for Tom Lancashire saw the team score 34 points and take team bronze behind Turkey (17) and Spain (20).

Butchart said: “It was a tough track but I loved it. I’m very satisfied with my bronze because it is my first medal so I am enjoying the moment. Of course I wanted to win but it was not meant to be.”

Turkey’s Yasemin Can, winner of the 5,000m and 10,000m titles at the European Athletics U23 Championships in Bydgoszcz, successfully defended the senior women’s title

UK Trials winner Emelia Gorecka was eighth in 27.17 and 2014 winner Gemma Steel ninth, while Scottish internationalist Stephanie Twell, who has accrued 10 medals since winning the individual U20 title in 2006, was 10th.

Former Dundee Hawkhill runner Lily Partridge came home in 15th.

GB won the team race after totalling 23 points with Romania taking team silver (31) ahead of 2016 champions Turkey (54).

Ireland’s Fionnuala McCormack, making a record 15th Euro Cross appearance, finished 12th.

2016 silver medallist Harriet Knowles-Jones gave GB the perfect start by winning the opening race – the U20 Women’s Championship over 4,180m.

The Warrington athlete took the finishing tape in 13.48 – 11 seconds clear of Hungary’s Lili Toth. GB clinched gold with 21 points, ahead of Italy and Spain.

More team gold followed in the U23 Women’s 6,280m race where Jessica Judd, Amy Neale and Amy Griffiths dominated the team standings with a low scoring 12 points to finish ahead of Germany and Turkey.

Inverness Harrier Mhairi Mac-Lennanran ran well to finish ninth.

Norway’s Jakob Ingebrigtsen won the U20 men’s race in 18.39, while Jimmy Gressier of France was a surprise winner of the U23 men’s title.

The GB team clinched bronze courtesy of Mahamed Mahamed 12th, Chris Olley 13th and Patrick Dever 16th.

Scottish 4km Cross-Country champion Cameron Boyek helped GB take gold in the inaugural mixed relay.

Picture: John Sukup. Harriet Knowles-Jones celebrates victory in the U20 Women’s Championship.

Andy Butchart on his way to a bronze-medal finish in the men’s senior race.