8:50pm Sunday 13th December 2009
By Andrew Simpson
STEVIE Stockton has won a gold medal on her debut at the SPAR European Cross Country Championships.
The Vale Royal Athletics Club star finished tenth in the Women’s U23s race at Dublin’s Santry Park, counting as fourth scorer for Great Britain and Northern Ireland as they won the team title for the fourth time in as many attempts.
No other country has ever been crowned collective winners in the age group.
Stockton, 20, clocked 21:39 to beat compatriot Steph Twell, who is a three-times junior champion and was one of the pre-race favourites to cross the line first.
Winner Sultan Hayder, of Turkey, broke away early in the race with British athletes Jess Sparke (Woodford Green and Essex) and Twell (Aldershot Farnham and District) prominent in the chasing pack. The front runner, who won the European 1,500m title for the age class in the summer, had opened up a 10 seconds advantage after the first lap.
That lead was extended by another three seconds over the next.
However Russia's Iriina Sergeyeva, who had gradually closed gap over the preceding 1,500m, finally got onto Hayder’s shoulder at the 4,500m mark.
But in the end the Turkish girl's track speed proved vital in the battle for the line as her rival could not find another gear in a sprint for the line.
Sparke went on to take individual bronze, but Twell faded badly to finish behind Stockton.
Charlotte Browning (Aldershot Farnham and District) completed four laps of the muddy 1.5km course in 21:30, four seconds behind Sparke.
Hollie Rowland (City of Norwich) was fifth.
Great Britain edged out Russia by just three points to top the team standings, while France trailed in third.
The girls’ achievement helped Team GB match their impressive haul of a year ago, winning a total of six individual and six team medals.
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