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Bronze medallist Rehberg had complained beforehand that she was probably too injured to do well. After a half-term trip to Italy she claimed all the hours of sitting on the coach had given her muscle problems. If that was an excuse to bolster her confidence it certainly worked. ©wus-media - Wilfried Raatz
European Athletics (EAA) – News – Junior women’s final: Terzic turns it on
In a big turnaround, Amela Terzic of Serbia overturned a 20m deficit to win the junior women's title at the SPAR European Cross Country Championships in Budapest by eight seconds from defending champion, Emelia Gorecka of Great Britain with Germany's Maya Rehberg third.
Terzic covered the 4km course in 13:29 with Gorecka on 13:37 and Rehberg a further six seconds in arrears.
The Briton and the Serb had been locked in combat for practically the whole of the 4km course in bitingly cold temperatures with Gorecka making the pace.
In one of the more unusual courses, the runners have to go through a barn and when the leaders emerged for the final time, Gorecka held a 20m advantage that looked decisive.
But on the downhill to the finish, Terzic suddenly found her second wind and pressed the accelerator to shoot into a decisive lead that she extended to the finish.
Bronze medallist last year, Amela Terzič of Serbia, always stood a chance of unseating the Briton and she did it in style. Double European junior champion on the track, Terzič pocketed silver over 1500m this year at the world juniors and is now European junior cross country champion.
Bronze medallist Rehberg had complained beforehand that she was probably too injured to do well. After a half-term trip to Italy she claimed all the hours of sitting on the coach had given her muscle problems. If that was an excuse to bolster her confidence it certainly worked.
Despite the disappointment of not winning the individual race, Gorecka at least had the consolation of leading home a victorious British team who were overwhelming winners with 28 points to Germany's 106 who just shaved Russia in bronze by five points.
Britain packed well with Gorecka second, Annabel Mason fifth, Jennifer Walsh eighth and Jessica Judd 13th.
Rehberg has also claimed the German team was not good enough to repeat last year's feat of team bronze. In the event, they improved to silver!
Russia were led home by Evdokia Bykina in 10th. Bykina leads the European steeplechase lists with her national junior record of 9:56.46 set when finishing fourth at the world junior championships this summer.
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European Athletics (EAA) – News
