Kate Veale: from European Athletics youth reporter to European medallist

Kate Veale of Ireland shares the podium with the Russian duo of Yelena Lashmanova (centre) and Svetlana Yasilyeva in Olhaõ.

Dreams do come true. Kate Veale of Ireland realised one of hers on Saturday when she won a bronze medal in the junior women’s 10km race at the European Cup Race Walking in Olhaõ.

After setting an Irish record at the Youth Olympic Games in Singapore last year, Veale has taken rapid strides in last few months to gain international recognition. In Olhaõ, she clocked a personal best of 46:32 – 11 seconds inside her Irish record.

Fans of the European Athletics website won’t be unfamiliar with her name. The 17-year-old was a European Athletics Youth Reporter at the 2009 SPAR European Cross Country Championships in Dublin.

Check out her report from Dublin 2009 here.

http://www.european-athletics.org/european-athletics-youth-reporters.html

The athlete from West Waterford AC club defeated some top quality opposition when finishing in third place in hot conditions in the Algarve town this weekend, placing ahead of capable walkers from Italy, Germany, Britain, the Ukraine and one of the three highly favoured Russian team members.

“I am surprised but delighted with my performance. It’s fabulous to be here competing against the best in the world, and even sweeter to win a medal. It was very warm but the venue was great and so was the circuit,” said Veale.

Veale now plans to continue her international progression and aim to compete in the European Athletics Junior Championships in Tallinn in July and the World Youth Championships in Lille this summer.

Veale spoke to our YouTube channel after her race and here’s what she had to say after her remarkable performance.

http://youtu.be/rdY7qelh7Dg