Nick Griggs: 'I’ve wanted this for so long and for it to come together, it’s so special'
DOUBLE GOLD: Ireland’s Nick Griggs celebrates with his medals after the prize giving. Picture: ©INPHO/Morgan Treacy
For many years, those with their fingers on the pulse of Irish athletics have been shouting from the rooftops that Nick Griggs was just a bit special. And in Lagoa, Portugal yesterday, the Tyrone athlete fully lived up to that billing, coming of age with a brace of gold medals in the U23 men’s race.
Griggs turned on the jets on the last of four laps in the 5960m event to come home in splendid isolation and claim his first individual gold at the European Cross Country Championships, and the euphoria only grew moments later as his training partner Callum Morgan crossed the line eighth and Irish teammate Niall Murphy roundedout the Irish scoring in 10th – delivering team gold with 19 points ahead of France (33) and Spain (43).
“It’s unreal,” said Griggs. “I haven’t cried in a long time but there’s been a few tears shed. I can’t describe it. I’ve wanted this for so long and for it to come together, it’s so special.”
Four days shy of his 21st birthday, Griggs has now amassed an astonishing eight medals at the European Cross Country but before this, he had never previously won an individual gold. “I’ve been dreaming of it for a long time,” he said. “I was a nearly man at these champs, but finally I’m going to be at the top of the podium.”
His performance was an utterly dominant one, Griggs quietly coasting into contention on the first of four laps in the 5960m race and then changing gears in devastating fashion to power clear on the final lap. He put huge daylight between himself and the field in the closing kilometre and hit the line in 17:47, a whopping 12 seconds clear of Aurélien Radja (17:59) of France, whose teammate Pierre Boudy took bronze in 18:03.
“I’m just so proud of myself and the lads beside me,” said Griggs. “I train with two of them, two of my best mates. It’s an unbelievable group of lads. They all put it together on the day and I’m just so proud that we managed to come home with a historic double gold for Ireland.” Morgan, who trains with Griggs under coach Mark Kirk, also had the race of his life back in eighth. “In my mind there was no doubt that Nick was going to win gold,” he said. “It was just about us backing him up as a team.”
From a star of the present to a potential star of the future, the U20 women’s race underlined why many are getting equally excited about Emma Hickey, who turned in a breakthrough performance to win bronze.
The 16-year-old was among the youngest athletes at these championships, the Wexford native still underage for this category for the next three years, but she turned in a performance that belied her youth and inexperience – hitting the line in 15:10 for the 4450m distance to win Ireland’s first ever medal in that race.
“I wasn’t expecting it at all,” she said. “I wanted to do well but I didn’t think it’d be possible (to win a medal) because I’m only 16. I didn’t know if I’d be able to hold it the whole time, but I managed to keep it [going]. It’s my first proper season and it’s great to finish it off like this, and hopefully I can go into next season even better and improve my times again.” British star Innes Fitzgerald proved a class apart, hitting the line in 14:35, a whopping 32 seconds clear of runner-up Lucie Paturel of France. Ireland’s Anna Gardiner turned in a fine performance to finish sixth in 15:17.
Elsewhere, national champion Fiona Everard had the race of her life in the senior women’s race, leading the Irish home in 10th, clocking 25:54, with fellow Cork woman Niamh Allen 23rd in 26:15. Italy’s Nadia Battocletti turned in another majestic performance to take gold, sauntering to victory in 24:52 ahead of Britain’s Megan Keith (25:07) and Turkey’s Yasemin Can (25:13). Danielle Donegan was the third Irish scorer in 36th, the Irish women finishing eighth.
“After the last two years, when I was really disappointed, to have a good year and a year that shows the training I’d done, I’m delighted,” said Everard. “The hills suited me and the management had us well prepared, (telling us to) go conservative and not to be too aggressive at the start. It was hard not to panic after two laps when you’re well back, but you gain so much momentum passing people, so from there to the finish it was so much nicer than getting swallowed up.” Kirsty Maher was the leading Irish finisher in the U23 women’s race, coming home 11th, with Amy Greene 20th. Noah Harris led the Irish in the U20 men’s race, finishing 10th, with Cormac Dixon 13th.
- FITZGERALD Innes GBR 14:35
- PATUREL Lucie FRA 15:07
- HICKEY Emma IRL 15:10
: 3rd Emma Hickey United Striders AC, 6th Anna Gardiner East Down AC, 56th Lucy Foster Willowfield Harriers, 78th Eimear Cooney Ace AC, 79th Abby Smith Shercock AC
- RENDERS Willem BEL 13:11
- GAITAN Oscar ESP 13:12
- ABRAHAM Alois FRA 13:19
: 10th Noah Harris Parnell AC, 13th Cormac Dixon Tallaght AC, 36th Caolan McFadden Cranford AC, 65th Finn Diver Beechmount Harriers, 67th Tom Breslin Clonliffe Harriers
- Maria Forero (ESP) – 19:59
- Ilona Mononen (FIN) – 20:04
- Pia Schlattmann (GER) – 20:23
: 11th Kirsty Maher Moy Valley AC, 20th Amy Greene Finn Valley AC, 25th Ava O'Connor Tullamore Harriers, 26th Anika Thompson Leevale AC, 34th Roise Roberts Candour Track Club
- GRIGGS Nicholas IRL 17:47
- RADJA Aurélien FRA 17:59
- BOUDY Pierre FRA 18:03
: 1st Nick Griggs Candour Track Club, 8th Callum Morgan Candour Track Club, 10th Niall Murphy Ennis Track AC, 29th Jonas Stafford UCD AC, 48th Lughaidh Mallon UCD AC
- BATTOCLETTI Nadia ITA 24:52
- KEITH Megan GBR 25:07
- CAN Yasemin TUR 25:13
: 10th Fiona Everard Bandon AC, 23rd Niamh Allen Leevale AC , 36th Danielle Donegan Tullamore Harriers, 44th Emily Haggard- Kearney North Belfast Harriers, 50th Mary Mulhare Portlaoise AC
- NDIKUMWENAYO Thierry ESP 22:05
- GRESSIER Jimmy FRA 22:08
- LOBALU Dominic Lokinyomo SUI 22:23
: 5th Jack O’Leary Mullingar Harriers, 10th Brian Fay Raheny Shamrock AC, 11th Cormac Dalton Mullingar Harriers, 16th Darragh McElhinney Bantry AC, 19th Efrem Gidey Clonliffe Harriers
Eimear Maher Dundrum South Dublin AC, Laura Nicholson Bandon AC, Andrew Coscoran Star of the Sea AC, Cian McPhillips UCD AC
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