Euro silver for Pavey
Jo Pavey won Britain's sixth medal of the European Championships by taking silver in the 10,000 metres in Helsinki.
Last Updated: 01/07/12 4:52pm
Jo Pavey won Britain's sixth medal of the European Championships by taking silver in the 10,000 metres in Helsinki.
Pavey was unable to stay with eventual champion Dulce Felix when the Portuguese runner made the decisive break with eight laps to go, and found herself third at the bell behind Ukraine's Olha Skrypak.
But the 38-year-old from Devon overtook Skrypak in the home straight to secure silver in 31 minutes 49.03 seconds, with Ireland's Fionnuala Britton in fourth.
Pavey's team-mate Charlotte Purdue was sixth in 32mins 28.46secs, with Gemma Steel ninth in 32:46.32.
Pavey only returned to track action after her Olympic marathon hopes were ended in April.
She opted to miss the London Marathon and hope that her time from last year's race was enough to claim the last available place alongside Paula Radcliffe and Mara Yamauchi, but watched as both Claire Hallissey and Freya Murray eclipsed her time, with Hallissey subsequently selected.
"It's been a real blessing in disguise," said Pavey, who is likely to run both the 5,000 and 10,000m in London.
"I would have taken a marathon place if I was given it because it would have been a massive gamble not to accept it.
"It was kind of nice not to have any choice and it's made me feel young. I'm really thrilled to get a medal. Doing track this year after two years on the road has been really fun."
