Waterford’s Ellis McHugh is a European Youth Olympic Festival bronze medallist.
The Ferrybank teenager came third in the 400 metre hurdles final in North Macedonia on Friday to pick up another medal for team Ireland.
Reacting to her medal, Ellis McHugh described her race, saying: “I actually think I wasn’t as nervous as I thought I would be initially coming out. I was thinking of everybody that ran before. I’m glad I even got here. It’s a bonus to be in the final, so I thought just don’t be nervous. Go out, do what I can. And I did that. I tried to do that anyway.
“I tried to get out hard, knowing that I was in lane seven. I couldn’t see a lot of people behind me, but I knew at least I had one girl to chase outside me, which I prefer. And then I just tried to stay relaxed, running down the back straight, and kind of wind up for the second bend, hopefully, and then kick at the end of what I had left, which I tried to do.
“Then coming off the second bend, you can kind of tell where you’re coming a little bit more and I could tell I was somewhere up there. So I just kept telling myself, run, run, run. I was actually saying that in my head. I was like, just keep moving, keep going, keep going. Then yeah, I got across the line, heard all the Irish parents cheering, so I wasn’t sure if I came third or fourth, so I just hoped. Then when I heard them all shouting that it was third and then they announced it and I was delighted.
“I went out in my heat and I had a different kind of stride patterning, I’m assuming because of the adrenaline and the heat. It worked, but it worked out fine. So I was happy enough. So I kind of just hoped I could execute that again today, which I did. So it was fine. But it is completely about finding stride patterns in between the hurdles. It’s not like sprinting whatever works. It’s like getting the right hurdle, knowing when you’re going to hit it. But yeah, thankfully worked out.”
It was a long wait for Ellis McHugh before hearing the result, and for the hurdler who is relatively new to this race, having only run a handful ever, the future is bright. Given today’s result the fact that she is coached by Bríd Golden, who previously coached Ferrybank AC’s best known athlete, Thomas Barr, the future is bright.
“Obviously having someone from my club who’s done it all really. It’s such an inspiration to see that he could come from my club and do what he does and just 400 hurdles as well. Having a coach (like Bríd) that works with me, whether I’m having a good or bad day, she knows and she help me throughout. She’s really supportive through everything. All the coaches are.”
