Bingley’s Emma Clayton won individual silver, Ilkley’s Georgia Malir team gold, while Bingley’s Mary Wilkinson and Clayton gained a senior team silver for Britain at the 29th WORLD MOUNTAIN RUNNING CHAMPIONSHIPS.
Poland’s Krynica Zdrój resort course consisted of rocky forest paths and steep ski slopes.
The junior women ran one lap of 4.65km with 286 metres of elevation. The junior men and senior women ran two laps (9.08km) and the senior men three (13.6km).
Unusually the course was down and then up. Although descents suit British fell-runners, it required adjustment to ensure that the downhill did not take too much out of the legs.
The senior women went one better than at the European Championships and took team silver. Clayton was second in 43min 12sec, behind Italian Alice Gaggi (42:47). Cumbrian Sarah Tunstall finished eighth (44:40), Wilkinson 12th (45:04) and Holmfirth’s Katie Walshaw 16th (46:01).
Malir joined team-mates Annabel Mason and Catriona Graves in the junior women’s race.
After an initial incline the field hit the descent. Georgia was tenth but pushed on to join the lead group of five, led by a Russian athlete. Wakefield’s Mason and Malir accelerated near the end of the downhill section to take second and third places, since many continentals are stronger uphill.
The climb was a steep zigzag up a ski-slope and the British pair moved into the lead until eventual winner, Mandy Ortiz of the USA, took over.
Slovenia's Lea Einfalt took second in the long forested ascent to the finish. In sight of the finish, Turkey’s Tubay Erdal moved into third. Mason was fourth, Malir fifth and Glaswegian Groves finished strongly to come next. The GB&NI team won gold.
Calder Valley’s Max Wharton finished 15th as part of the junior men’s team which took an unexpected bronze.
The senior men’s race was dominated by a quartet of Ugandans, who took the top four places, led home by Philip Kiplimo (55:22) to secure team gold. Ilkley's Tom Adams was fourth British finisher in 51st (62:36).
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