Britain finish EYOF ranked third on medal table

From Nick Clowes, Sportsbeat, in Tampere

GREAT Britain finished third on the medal table at the European Youth Olympic Festival - with ten golds the highlight of a successful week in Tampere.

SUCCESS: Great Britain's European Youth Olympic Festival team won 25 medals in Finland, including ten gold (British Olympic Association)

British athletes also won six silvers and seven bronze medals at the event - and were only eclipsed by Russia and Germany.

"Team GB has every reason to feel proud of their exceptional achievements at the European Youth Olympic Festival this week. Our athletes have thrived under the pressure of competing against the best young athletes from 49 European nations," said chef de mission Mark England

"It is particularly pleasing to see the spread of medals won across different sports. Five of the six disciplines in which we were represented have contributed at least two medals, and the only exception, tennis, came within a whisker of a medal on an unfavourable clay court surface."
        
Sprinter Jennifer Batten and gymnast Sam Oldham, who both won double gold, were among the stars of the team and it's the time Festival in succession that Britain has placed third.

EUROPEAN YOUTH OLYMPIC FESTIVAL 2009 MEDAL TABLE

     18, 10, 8, 36

    10, 8, 7, 25

     10, 6, 9, 25

"Some of these athletes will make the transition to senior level in their sport relatively quickly," added England.

"For others the journey will be more measured, but when you look at the opportunities ahead for these young athletes, with the inaugural Youth Olympic Games set to take place in Singapore next summer, London 2012 now only three years away, followed by the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in 2014, there has never been a more exciting time for British Olympic sport.

"It has been a fantastic week, both on and off the playing field, and all credit to the team managers, coaches and support staff who have worked extremely hard to allow the athletes to perform to the best of their abilities. I'm very proud of the entire team."

The EYOF baton has now been passed to Trabzon in Turkey where the next edition will take place in 2011.

The British Olympic Association selects, runs and manages Team GB at the summer, winter and youth Olympic Games. It promotes the Olympic Movement, enhances athlete success and develops Olympic sports in the UK - www.olympics.org.uk  http://twitter.com/Team_GB