On December 14 in 2014 the British duo produced an unforgettable showdown in Bulgaria as Gemma Steel was crowned winner
This month marks a decade since the thrilling battled unfolded between two British athletes at the European Cross Country Championships in Samokov, Bulgaria. In the senior women’s race, Gemma Steel and Kate Avery were locked in an intense rivalry, each running their hardest to the line.
The pair were racing side by side for majority of the 6km course, neither able to break away, but Steel was the one who would win the battle and come out victorious – upgrading her bronze medal from 2011 and silver medal from 2013.
While only one runner could claim the individual title, the British team still had much to celebrate. Steel and Avery were able to share victory in the team race as they won the title by over 50 points, with thanks to their team-mates.
Steph Twell and Lily Partridge finished seventh and 11th respectively, while Sonia Samuels and Elle Vernon both finished in the top 20, rounding out a dominant team performance.
Gemma Steel (Mark Shearman)
A dip into the AW archive gives a further look into what unfolded on the day as we reported: “Gemma Steel became Britain’s first senior women’s European champion since Hayley Yelling in 2009, narrowly outdipping team-mate Kate Avery after a remarkably tight race.
“Steel had started arguably as favourite for the senior women’s race, having won the British trial and finished third and then second on her last two appearances at the European Cross Country Championships.
“However, Avery was more of an unknown quantity despite having last month won the high-quality NCAA Championships in the United States.
AW Archive 2014
“The two Brits were neck and neck out on their own in front for the last two and a half laps (3km), each one testing the other but unable to establish daylight. It came down then to a sprint finish at the end of a thrilling duel with Steel just having enough time to raise her arms in celebration.
“Both were officially given the same time, but the actual margin was two tenths of a second. The duo were 25 seconds in front of the bronze medallist, Sweden’s Meraf Bahta, the European 5000m champion, who transferred from Eritrea in 2009.”
Since that remarkable race, Steel has continued to compete in cross country and road events, including a recent 18th place at the Euro Cross trials in Liverpool and a victory at the Great North 10km in September.
Kate Avery (Mark Shearman)
Avery, meanwhile, won another silver medal at the championships in 2015 but has transitioned away from the traditional track and cross-country scene. She now focuses on ultra-running, where she has secured multiple podium finishes.
To celebrate the 10-year anniversary, you can find our original coverage from the day and all of our European Cross coverage via the Athletics Weekly archive.
From the first ever issue in December 1945 through to the present day, current subscribers to our magazine are able to dip into this resource for free whereas non-subscribers can pay just £3.99 per month for full access.
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