 Rory interviewed after the race - see link at end of article Morpeth’s Rory Leonard rounded off what he himself describes as ‘a breakthrough year where I’ve moved on’ by collecting his share of a team Bronze medal at the 30th European Cross Country Championships in Turkey on Sunday morning.
On a day that saw most sporting events - including every single parkrun and Sunday’s Simonside Cairns Run - cancelled en-masse across the North East, conditions were much more propitious at the purpose-built course at Antalya on the Turkish coast, where the GB team enjoyed a remarkably successful day, collecting 12 medals in total across the age ranges. Rothbury-born Leonard formed part of the five man Senior Men’s team in the day’s final race over 7.5 kilometres, although sadly training companion and fellow club member Scott Beattie, who, like him had qualified in horrendous conditions at Liverpool two weeks previously, was an unfortunate late withdrawal. Establishing a good position in the field by the two kilometre mark, ex KEVI schoolboy Rory looked strong throughout and found the purpose built course very much to his liking, steadily pushing on as the race progressed and overtaking early leader and GB team mate Hugo Milner by the end to finish as first counter for the GB team with a top ten placing of 9th. The race itself was won by Norway’s Olympic Gold medallist Jakob Ingebrigtsen, equally at home here over the country as on the track, in a time of 22 minutes and 16 seconds, with Leonard – who said it was ‘amazing to be in the presence of one of the greatest ever’ – not so far behind in 22:45. With Milner in 11th and Tomer Tarragano 19th, the British team collected a hard fought Bronze, only two points behind Silver medallists Belgium with Spain collecting the team Gold. ‘This is what we train for – we train for the big day’, a still ‘buzzing’ Rory exclaimed afterwards, expressing also his appreciation for the team around him as he picked up what is his 11th GB vest. "It was a bloody technical course!" | Rory Leonard opens up about his ninth place finish at Euro XC Comments are closed.
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