Jenny Nesbitt leads GB to team silver at World University Cross Country Championships
University of Bath sporting scholar Jenny Nesbitt led Great Britain to a team silver medal at the World University Cross Country Championships in Monte Cassino, Italy.
And she was unfortunate not to collect an individual medal as well after a gutsy performance which saw Nesbitt lead from the front before being overtaken by Turkey’s Sevilay Eytemis and Japanese duo Moeno Shimizu and Maki Izumida in the last 500m.
“I’m slightly gutted to just miss out on an individual medal but I can’t be too disappointed with fourth place,” said Nesbitt, a Sports & Social Science student who is supported by a Trendell Sports Scholarship.
“Team silver is certainly the icing on the cake to a fantastic weekend away and my final XC race of the season!”
Nesbitt, who won team gold at the European Cross County Championships earlier this season, took the lead at the end of the first of four 1.3km laps in Italy.
She decided to try and break away from the field, opening up a 25m lead at one point, but wasn’t quite able to hang on in the final lap as she finished just four seconds outside the podium places.
Pippa Woolven, who competed at the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games, was the next Brit home in sixth place. Beth Hawling (12th), Amelia Pettitt (17th), Rebecca Murray (24th) and Damaris Smith (25th) made up the rest of the team.
Keen blogger Nesbitt wrote about her experiences in Italy for Athletics Weekly – click here to read the full story.
Thank you to BUCS for the pictures.
