Euro glory for golden girl Izzy
Newbury AC member helps GB to team victory in Lisbon
IZZY Fry has admitted the feeling hasn’t ‘properly sunk in’ after she was part of the Great Britain side that won a gold medal at the European Cross Country Championships in Lisbon.
Fry was representing her country in the under-20 and individual events, where she finished an impressive sixth with a time of 14.33.
The Newbury Athletic Club member was the first of the six GB athletes to finish in a field of around 100 of the best cross country runners across Europe.
Fry’s superb result helped the GB squad win team gold, along with Saskia Millard of Herne Hill Harriers AC, who finished 11th, and Amelia Samuels of Wolverhampton & Bilston AC in 12th.
That helped GB finish just ahead of Italy, whose team included race winner Nadia Battocletti.
Fry said: “I don’t think it’s properly sunk in yet. The whole trip has been a bit surreal from start to finish.
“I think it will probably sink in when I get home back to reality and look back on this weekend with a gold medal in my hand.”
It was her first European Championship appearance so there were no expectations on her part.
She said: “I was really happy with my individual placing.
“I had no idea what to expect so I was over the moon to walk away with a top 10 finish in my first European championships.”
It’s one of the few opportunities for the 19-year-old to work as part of a team and she said: “It’s been really nice to have a team atmosphere in Lisbon.
“Quite often athletics is a very individual sport so to go into the race hoping that everyone in your team does well was a really nice feeling and made it even better when we secured gold.
“At first we were unsure whether it was silver or gold, so you can imagine our reaction when we found out the result.”
It’s only the second time that the former Park House pupil has raced outside of Great Britain and she believes the experience will only help her future.
“Each time I go away with the British athletics team I learn so much from everyone around me.
“It’s great to experience it in the younger age categories so that I can take it forward with me when I move up to U23 and senior races.
“At my age it’s all about gaining experiences, so hopefully the experiences I’m getting now will benefit me and my career in the future.”
