Nick Griggs: 'I’ve wanted this for so long and for it to come together, it’s so special'

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.

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).