Butchart takes bronze as other Scots add to team success in sub-zero temperatures

Andy Butchart will prepare to plot a course towards European and Commonwealth success in 2018 after securing double bronze at the European cross-country championships yesterday.

The 26-year-old Scot shrugged off sub-zero conditions in Slovakia to accelerate into the mid-race lead after British team-mate Dewi Griffiths pulled up injured.

However, the Olympic 5,000 metres finalist’s own challenge was eventually extinguished on the final lap as he was forced to settle for third – plus the bonus of a team bronze for Great Britain & Northern Ireland – as Kenyan-born Turk Kaan Ozbilen took the title ahead of Spain’s Adel Mechaal.

“Once they were gone they were gone and on this sort of course there is no way of catching them,” Butchart admitted. “I wish I could have stayed with them but I lost a bit of concentration and that’s all it takes. I’m happy with the bronze medal and hopefully there will be many more to come.”

An unlikely starter for January’s Edinburgh crosscountry, he is likely to head Stateside for his next competitive outing following a post-christmas training stint at altitude in Arizona.

“I’ll be going on to the track in January, do a few indoor races in February including the Glasgow Grand Prix and then

0 Andy Butchart: Future plans. head to Australia for outdoors in March. And then crack on towards some medals,” added Butchart. GB&NI claimed nine medals in Samorin to top the standings with perennial Scottish challenger Steph Twell finishing tenth in the senior women’s race to help the British line-up to team gold as another Kenyan-born Turk, Yasemin Can, defended her title.

Highland prospect Mhairi Maclennan also shared in a team gold after coming ninth in the Under-23 race where Britain’s Jess Judd landed overall bronze behind German winner Alina Reh.

Harriet Knowles-jones brilliantly grabbed the individual Under-20 title to lead GB&NI to team victory, while Scottish prospect Cameron Boyek delivered a decisive second leg as the British quartet pulled away to land 4x1,000 mixed relay gold.

And the Durham-based hopeful, 24, will now chase further progress in 2018 following two years blighted by injury. “I might transition up towards 5,000m on the track and the 3,000 at the world indoors is a target,” he said.