'Starting to sink in': No time to bask in bronze as Erin Friel readies for European U20s

The wheel keeps turning and the legs keep running.

On Tuesday morning, Erin Friel will board another plane at Dublin airport and head for the European Athletics U20 Championships.

It is to Tampere in Finland this time having won a bronze medal at the European Youth Olympic Festival (EYOF) in Skopje, Macedonia last week.

For the 17-year-old Letterkenny AC athlete, it was a real breakout moment. National medals and county records have flowed almost like clockwork since the turn of the calendar this year, but for the Newtowncunningham teenager this was an entry into the real world.

Slovakia’s Ziva Remic was an impressive winner in 52.21 - for context, the all-time Donegal record in the distance is Kelly McGrory’s 52.62 - dominating the race pretty much from gun to line, with Italy’s Laura Frattaroli second in 53.71.

There in third was the green singlet and the smile every bit as glowing as the spikes of Erin Friel. A new personal best, 54.02 seconds, took her to the podium.

“I was shocked,” she told Donegal Live at a homecoming reception at Arena 7 on Monday. “I looked up at the crowd, all my family and the Irish supporters and I was so happy to know that my training was all worth it.

“It’s just starting to sink in. I can’t even believe that it’s done, it’s over and I’m home. I had the best week away ever.

“I went into the race with no thoughts about time at all. When I realised I had a medal, then I looked up and saw I had a PB; that was just the icing on the cake.”

Friel and the Irish medley relay team hit a national record of 2:07.06 for fourth in their final with Friel joined by Destiny Lawal, Molly Daly and Ellis McHugh.

She said: “The whole experience was so good. How it was all done was just like it’s done at major championships. It’s just a mirror of how that’s done.”

Now, she has little time to bask in the bronze as Tampere awaits.

Friel is joined on the Ireland team by Finn Valley AC’s Conor Kelly, who will go in the 400m and 4x400m relay, and by Ethan Dewhirst of Tir Chonaill AC, who is set to go in the 400m hurdles and 4x400m relay. Dermot McGranaghan of Finn Valley AC will also be in Finland on the coaching ticket.

For Friel, it will be her last competition of what has been a stellar summer and she was content to have McGranaghan’s ear in Macedonia.

She said: “It was great to have someone else close to home. Dermot was great to have around the races.”

A large group of her family, including her parents Barry and Vanessa, were also at the Toše Proeski Arena for the big moment last week.

“It was so special to have them there. That just made it 10 times better.”

Read next: In pictures: Erin Friel honoured after winning EYOF bronze medal

Earlier in the year, Friel ran the anchor leg in Tullamore as the Irish quartet - also including Maria Zakharenko, Roisin Murray and Sarah Kiernan - punched their tickets to Tampere. They needed to go inside 3:43 and did so with a bit to spare, clocking 3:42.37.

Friel, a student at Loreto Secondary School, reserved a special word for her coach and mentor, Kathryn McDevitt.

She said: “It’s all down Kathryn. I just show up and train. Kathryn plans it out and tells me what to do. She had me so well prepared. 

“I was so stress free because I know how well tuned Kathryn had everything. I was onto her every single day and when I’d come out of the mixed zone Kathryn was still the first person I spoke to.”