Griggs charges to European Cross Country silver

Nick Griggs produced a hugely impressive finish to win a silver medal in the men's under-23 race at the European Cross Country Championships in Turkey.

Team Ireland's Griggs, who earned bronze in last year's under-20 race, made a late surge to secure second but was narrowly denied gold by Great Britain's Will Barnicoat, who retained his title.

It is a third straight European Cross Country gold medal for Barnicoat, who dramatically pipped Griggs to victory in the under-20 contest in Turin in 2022 before claiming U23 gold in Brussels last year.

But while Griggs stumbled late in Italy two years ago, he defied fatigue in a stirring finish in Antalya on Sunday morning to clock 18:28.

The 19-year-old Tyrone athlete, in his first year at under-23 level, moved past Britain's David Stone (18:31), who had to settle for bronze, and finished just a second behind 21-year-old Barnicoat on the 6.3km course.

Griggs' run helped Ireland finished fourth in the team standings, 12 points behind bronze medallists Denmark as Great Britain took gold ahead of France.

'I'm the nearly man at these championships'

Having missed out on that elusive gold despite such a strong finish, Griggs had mixed emotions.

"Everyone wants to go out and win gold, I'm the nearly man at these championships," Griggs told Athletics Ireland.

"I'm happy. I'm not going to complain with silver. I think I've appreciated as I've gotten older those medals at European stages."

On his strong finish, Griggs added: "I was a wee bit off. But I saw both of them go for it and I thought 'let's go'.

"I left it all out there. Fair play to Will, he put together a great race. When I got really close to him, I saw him look and he did put a surge in so he probably had a bit more left than I did. The best man won on the day.

"I'm buzzing but next year, or the year after or one of these years, I will win at these championships."

Frank McGrath, the son of ex-Irish international Paddy McGrath, was part of the Ireland team that finished ninth in the men's under-20 race.

McGrath's Lagan Valley club-mate Eva Bartlett - who is coached by Paddy - and East Down athlete Anna Gardiner helped Ireland to sixth in the women's under-20 contest.