BOURNEMOUTH star Louise Damen is celebrating after helping Great Britain to senior women's team bronze at the Spar European Cross-Country Championships in Croatia.

Damen, currently studying at Loughborough University, finished 51st overall, and fifth Briton, in the 78-woman field, as the 20-year-old Dorset star completed the 6,170m Medulin course in 21 minutes 53 seconds.

Commonwealth 1,500 metres silver medallist Hayley Tullett led the Brits home, the 29-year-old Welshwoman finishing fifth in 20 mins 25 secs with Slovenia's Helena Javornik claiming individual gold.

Galina Bogomolva finished two seconds behind Javornik to help Russia claim the team gold medal, with last year's junior champion Elvan Abeylegesse, of Turkey, third in 20.19.

Tullett's fifth-placed finish, plus Hayley Yelling in 14th place, Liz Yelling in 20th and Sharon Morris in 41st, was enough to secure a medal for Britain.

Meanwhile, Kent's Charlotte Dale won the junior women's race to secure the team gold medal for Britain's girls.

Jon Brown's gamble to help Britain to a medal despite not being fully fit failed to pay off when the men's team finished just outside the podium positions in their wind-ravaged 9,830-metre race.

Finishing fourth, their highest placing since winning the 1999 team title, was no real consolation. Spain retained the gold medal scoring 31 points ahead of France 43 and Portugal 57.

Sergiy Lebid also retained his individual crown, the Ukrainian breaking away over the last 800 metres to win by five seconds.

A thrilling sprint for the line saw Mustapha Essaid given the nod ahead of Fabian Roncero for second - the Frenchman and Spaniard sharing the same time.

The British side, who amassed 93 points, were led home by Allen Graffin, who clocked 29 minutes 40 seconds.

Brown finished two places and a second behind with Glynn Tromans 23rd in 29:45. Spencer Barden was 30th (29:53), Ben Noad 63rd (31:18) and Dominic Bannister 71st (31:46).

Alistair Cragg produced a brilliant performance earning Ireland sixth overall.

His eighth place in 29:13 came out of the blue. Fiacra Lombard was 26th (29:50), Seamus Power 32nd (29:55) and Mark Kenneally 47th (30:39).