CITY of Plymouth’s Poppy Tank enjoyed an impressive senior debut for Great Britain on Sunday by finishing 13th at the European Cross Country Championships in Turin, Italy, and helping her country to a team silver.

Tank, who had previously represented her country successfully at under-23 level, finished as third Brit in the prestigious race behind Jessica Warner-Judd, who came eighth, and Abbie Donnelly, who was ninth.

The former Plymouth College pupil out-sprinted national team-mate Jessica Gibbon on the finish line of the tough race, with Cari Hughes (22^nd) and Amy-Eloise Markovc (26^th) making up the GB senior women’s team that finished second behind Germany.

The 7,662m course was particularly tough, with steep up and down hill sections and a run through a museum.

Tank, who claimed All-American cross country honours while studying at Utah University, kept a steady pace all the way through the race and had plenty of strength left for the final run in.

The Puma athlete was one of four Devonians competing for Great Britain at the championships.

Exeter Harriers runner Innes Fitzgerald, who is still an under-17 athlete, came fourth in the under-20 women’s race, while team-mates Sam Mills was also fourth in the under-20 men’s event and Johnny Livingstone 22^nd.