Nick Griggs Secures Silver at European Cross Country Championships

Nick Griggs achieved a silver medal in the men’s under-23 race at the European Cross Country Championships held in Turkey, following a notably strong finish. Griggs, representing Team Ireland, who previously won bronze in last year’s under-20 race, advanced late in the competition to secure second place. He was just edged out for gold by Great Britain’s Will Barnicoat, who successfully defended his title. This marks Barnicoat’s third consecutive European Cross Country gold medal, having narrowly defeated Griggs in the under-20 contest in Turin in 2022 before claiming U23 gold in Brussels last year. While Griggs experienced a late setback in Italy two years prior, he overcame fatigue with a strong finish in Antalya on Sunday morning, clocking a time of 18:28. The 19-year-old Tyrone athlete, competing in his inaugural year at the under-23 level, overtook Britain’s David Stone (18:31), who ultimately secured bronze, and concluded the 6.3km course merely a second behind 21-year-old Barnicoat. Griggs’ performance contributed to Ireland’s fourth-place finish in the team standings, trailing bronze medallists Denmark by 12 points, as Great Britain claimed gold ahead of France. Despite his strong finish, Griggs expressed mixed emotions regarding the missed gold medal. “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.” Regarding his powerful 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 former Irish international Paddy McGrath, competed as a member of the Ireland team that placed ninth in the men’s under-20 race. McGrath’s Lagan Valley club-mate Eva Bartlett, coached by Paddy, and East Down athlete Anna Gardiner contributed to Ireland’s sixth-place finish in the women’s under-20 contest.