Cheese rolling winner from Canada returns home

Delaney Irving only decided to enter the race at the last moment

A winner of this year's cheese-rolling competition admits her victory is "foggy" after being knocked unconscious just before the finish.

Hundreds of contestants chased a 7lb (3kg) Double Gloucester cheese down the near-vertical Coopers Hill in Brockworth, Gloucestershire, on Monday.

Canadian Delaney Irving, 19, won the women's race, despite rolling across the finish line out cold.

Ms Irving said she "couldn't believe it was me" when she watched the footage.

She and her friend Julia Gilmour had been backpacking around the UK, and initially planned to go as spectators before deciding to enter at the last moment.

Speaking to BBC West from her home on Vancouver Island, she said: "I couldn't believe that was me, as soon as I fell at the very end I was knocked unconscious, so I don't really remember the end of the race.

"It is definitely weird seeing that video."

Injuries are common at the event and police and fire services have said they will no longer staff the race until organisers come up with a safety plan.

Delaney Irving was unconscious when she rolled over the finish line

Ms Irving was unconscious for about two minutes, and admits she can't really remember much about the aftermath of the race.

"It is very foggy, there are some pictures of me right after the race holding up the cheese but I don't really have any recollection of that," she said.

Ms Irving has yet to sample her prize, but managed to get it back to Canada.

In fact the customs officer had seen her victory on the news and waived the wheel of Double Gloucester through.

Julia Gilmour (left) and Delaney Irving only entered the race at the last minute

"I am a cheese fan and I have never had this kind before so I am interested to try it," Ms Irving said.

The cheese-rolling race down the 200-yard (183m) hill is thought to date back about 600 years, but it is still controversial.

The advisory board the Tewkesbury Borough Safety Group said this year's race had put a significant strain on the emergency services.

Six people were taken to hospital by ambulance.

The cheese rolling event is thought to date back 600 years

Ms Irving said competitors knew the risks.

"I think everyone has the right to be concerned, but everyone doing it, they know what they are getting themselves into," she said.

She added that competitors knew emergency services would not be immediately on hand to help them if they got into difficulty.

Asked if she had any tactics going into the race, Ms Irving said her goal had been to roll if she felt herself falling rather than try and catch herself.

"I thought if I tried to catch myself I would probably break a wrist, so I thought 'just try to roll down that hill'," she said.

"That was my only thought going into the race and it seemed to work out."