Gold for Twell at European Cross Country

STEPH Twell's decision to conclude her junior career at the European Cross Country Championships played spectacular dividends with third consecutive gold in Brussels.

CONFIDENT: Twell dominated her British rivals to win both individual and team under-20 gold at the European Cross Country Championships in Brussels (Getty Images)

Defending champion Twell, who won the 1500m world junior title earlier this year and competed at the Beijing Olympics, finished more than ten seconds ahead of British team-mate Charlotte Purdue in 13.28 minutes for the 3,000m course.

British athletes claimed the top six positions - with Lauren Howarth taking bronze, followed by Emily Pidgeon, Emma Pallant and Laura Park and their dominance secured the women's under-20 team title by a convincing margin.

"I'm just so elated - it's a really special and rewarding victory for me," said Twell.

"I wasn't expecting it to go off as hard as it did - it was very competitive and very fast.

"The mud was flying everywhere. I don't really feel pressure. It's more the expectation I place on myself and I always want more from myself."

Twell paid special tribute to club mate Purdue. She will still be a junior next year and after a bronze in 2007 and silver today, she is charting the right course.

"I was hoping for gold to be honest but Steph was too strong," said Purdue. "It's one place better than last year, so I'm moving in the right direction."

Britain's under-23 women won the team title, with mountain running specialist Sarah Tunstall taking individual silver behind pre-race favouite, Holland's Susan Kuijken.

Scotland's Morag Maclarty, a former European junior champion, was just edged out of bronze in a sprint finish with Russian Yuliya Zarudneva. 

"I’m very pleased with an individual silver and team gold and I dedicate it to my dad and all my family," said Tunstall.

"The course was very hard with the mud and the sharp bends. But this suits me because I m a real mountain runner.”

There was also an individual silver and team gold in the men's under-23 race. Andy Vernon improved on his bronze medal from 2007 to finish behind impressive Italian gold medallist Andrea Lalli.

But strong performances from fellow British athletes - Andrew Lindsay (fourth), John Beattie (sixth) and Keith Gerrard (seventh) - secured the team gold.

"Silver is okay but i was not at my very best," said Vernon. "I suffered from some stitches which slowed me down but I got myself together."

France's Florian Carvalho took the men's under-20 title - edging out Norway's Sondre Nordstad Moen and France's Hassan Chahdi, who completed the podium.

David Forrester was the top British finisher in fifth, his time of 18.58 mins was 16 seconds behind Carvalho. However, along with team-mates Ross Murray, Mitch Goose, Phillip Berntsen, Nick O'Hare and Nick Goolab, Britain's under-20 men claimed team bronze.