HAYLEY Yelling's bid to become the first woman ever to retain the European Cross Country title ended in failure in the Netherlands last Sunday.

The teacher at Sir William Borlase's School in Marlow was sixth behind home favourite Lornah Kiplagat and admitted her tactics had been wrong.

She said: "I like to go off quickly and then try to hold on. That's how I usually run and I believe in it. But I didn't go off as quickly as I did last year, and that was my mistake."

Yelling could not have relied on the same tactics that first won her the title in 2004 whereas that course was flat the organisers this year had prepared a twisting, muddy route through the hills.

She said: "I thought it would be a quick race and I didn't want to fade. I stayed with the pack at the outset but I tend to lose my rhythm when I'm chasing. I felt off-form and it just never happened.

"I don't know why. My preparations were fine. They weren't exactly smooth last year but look what happened, so you can never tell. I'm a great believer in it depends how you feel on the day. But I'd certainly be more aggressive if I did it again now."

Kiplagat finished 21 seconds ahead of Yelling in a time of 19 minutes and 55 seconds. Yelling was still the first Briton home, two places ahead of sister-in-law Liz, to help the GB team to second.

She said: "I would have been happy with a top-four. No woman has ever won the title two years running but I'm still a bit disappointed."

Yelling will compete in one more cross-country race in the new year before turning her attention to the track in preparations for the Commonwealth Games in March.