Kate Avery wins silver at European Cross County Championships
Sunday 13 December 2015 20:40, UK
Kate Avery claimed a second consecutive silver medal at the European Cross Country Championships in Hyeres, France.
The 24-year-old, who finished runner-up to team-mate Gemma Steel in Samokov last year, ran a strong final lap but was unable to catch dominant Dutch winner Sifan Hassan.
"It was a totally different race from last year," said Avery.
"I feel like I really had to build up for that second place. I did not really expect to be here. My dad recently passed away. He was my biggest support. I thought a lot about him today."
The women's team won gold and the men claimed bronze to ensure all of Britain's athletes returned home with a medal.
Jonathan Davies won gold in the Under-23 men's race to become the first British man to win a title at the event since Mo Farah nine years ago.
"Over the moon! Champion of Europe! Tonight promises to be good," tweeted Davies after winning by three seconds.
The 21-year-old led the men's junior team to silver while Laura Muir's fourth place helped the women's Under-23 team to gold.
Muir, 21, said: "It's a team effort as much as individual at these championships, so I'm chuffed for them all to get the gold."
In total, Britain finished with nine medals, three gold, to top the medal table for the 13th consecutive year.
