EMELIA GORECKA says she cannot be too unhappy after claiming a silver medal at the European Cross Country Championships in Budapest.
The 18-year-old from Bookham completed the set at the Championships, having won gold last year and bronze back in 2010.
And although she was overtaken late on by her arch-rival Amela Terzic this time around, Gorecka said she was pleased to have sealed her place on the podium for the third year running.
"I don't think I can be too unhappy with getting silver," she said.
"Considering the conditions and the length of the course, it possibly favoured her.
"My strengths are really in the longer races and perhaps if it had been longer I might have been able to stretch out more of a gap."
The defending junior champion did lead the race for a while, but she was overtaken by the Serbian athlete on the downhill stretch towards the latter stages of the 4km race.
However, the Aldershot, Farnham and District teenager said the snowy conditions made for a tricky race, with all the athletes struggling to keep warm on the start line.
"It was minus temperatures, with the conditions at around minus two or below. It was ridiculously cold really and that is hard to prepare for."
But Gorecka said it was still quite a proud achievement for her to complete the set of medals, even if she was hoping for another gold.
And Gorecka said the disappointment of winning silver this time would only make her even more determined to win back her title at the annual event in 2013.
She said: "Next year, Amela will be out of this age group and I will be aiming to get the title back.
"I want to win it again and I am looking forward to next year when hopefully I can win the title back."
In the meantime, Gorecka says she plans to have a mini break, before focusing hard on her training ahead of the World Cross Country Championships, the Edinburgh Cross Country Championships and the Europeans again next year.
