European Cross Country Championships: Ingebrigtsen and Grøvdal double up for Norway
James Davis reports on an action-packed day of racing at the European Cross Country Championships in Turin.
The European Cross Country Championships was a success for the British team, as they came home with ten medals in total, including five golds.
Charles Hicks and Will Barnicoat both delivered for Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Hicks retaining his U23 honours whilst Barnicoat came good in his final year in the U20 age group.
There were home victories for Italy in the mixed relay and women’s U23 race as last lap drama saw Gaia Sabbatini carry the Italian team over the line in first before Nadia Battocletti defended her individual title.
Norway took both senior titles as Jakob Ingebrigtsen and Karoline Bjerkeli Grøvdal each reiterated their claim on the European crown.
Maria Forero of Spain took U20 gold in a closely run race, one of five medals on the day for the Iberian nation.
Mixed Relay
Italy took a stunning relay gold in the four-leg mixed contest, with Sabbatini charging home for the host nation’s first medal of the day in a time of 17:23.
Pietro Arese took the blue of Italy into the lead at the first changeover, generating a gap of four seconds from closest challengers Belgium.
Spain were also placed well in fifth, considering their leadout man Jesús Gómez had fallen, with Germany and Denmark the other leading nations.
Elena Adelina Panaet put Romania ahead at the halfway point, with Italy second, her stunning 4:37 for the long lap five seconds faster than the next best athlete.
Yassin Bouih regained the lead for the Italians on a strong third leg, before handing over to Sabbatini, who was at points as far back as third, having been gifted a healthy five second margin.
Threatening a Spanish victory to break Italian hearts, Rosalía Tárraga pulled away from Sabbatini and Frenchwoman Anaïs Bourgoin on the technical downhill section with just a short distance to the line, but the Turin crowd roared European U23 1500 metre champion Sabbatini home, her kick taking her into the waiting arms of her ecstatic teammates.
The trials for the Italian team were held on this course, a not insignificant benefit given the one second margin of victory, something noted by Arese, who said: “We knew the course and had a small advantage.”
“Winning a relay is like winning four times,” expressed Bouih, whose third leg was crucial to Italian success — however, such was the success of the British team on the day, that even if a relay gold was worth four medals, it would not have prevented the resurgent British team topping the medal table.
Women’s race
Sole Norwegian competitor Grøvdal took home the senior European title in 26:25, ahead of a trio of German athletes.
Konstanze Klosterhalfen, Alina Reh, and Hannah Klein packed almost perfectly to ensure team gold, Klosterhalfen finishing four seconds back of first whilst her teammates both took 27:19 to complete the course.
Jessica Warner-Judd ranged out to an early, if inconsequential lead, joined by Grøvdal as the athletes made their way round the start loop.
Both athletes featured in a lead pack that also included four German athletes and eventual non-finisher Yasemin Can, as well as Selamawit Teferi of Israel.
Warner-Judd had dropped back significantly by the halfway point, struggling on the uphill section of the course, as the pace set by Grøvdal dropped all except Klosterhalfen.
The German led for much of the final two circuits, and still held first position until partway through the final downhill. As the course opened up into the finishing straight, Grøvdal put her foot down, securing a second senior European cross country title.
After winning a career sixth European gold, the Norwegian athlete was pleased her narrow focus paid off, saying: “I didn’t do many races this year, because I was preparing for this one.
“I felt quite strong going up the hill, and I think that is the reason I took gold.”
In the team competition, the British team (30) secured silver with Warner-Judd (27:27) in eighth, Abbie Donnelly (27:28) in ninth, with Poppy Tank and Jessica Gibbon both finishing in 27:44 for 13th and 14th place.
Ireland won a surprise team bronze thanks mostly to twins Eilish and Roisin Flanagan, 27:38 for both as they finished 11th and 12th respectively.
Men’s race
After seeing compatriot Grøvdal retain her European senior title, Ingebrigtsen won his (29:33) in a similarly confident fashion, as Britain’s Emile Cairess took a surprise silver in 29:42, with Isaac Kimeli of Belgium three seconds back for the bronze.
The Norwegian worked his way through the field through the early part of the race, Yemaneberhan Crippa and Yohanes Chiappinelli both enjoying some time in the lead in front of their home fans.
At the conclusion of the third lap, Ingebrigtsen led at a timing point for the first time as part of a lead group of four featuring Crippa, Kimeli, and German athlete Filimon Abraham.
Great Britian and Northern Ireland’s Cairess took the pace on for the athletes’ fifth circuit of the course, but a response from Ingebrigtsen saw last year’s world champion over 5000 metres take the lead and never relinquish it, slowly stretching away from his two challengers.
A final lap push into the uphill section of the course broke the elastic, and the Norwegian coursed home to a solo victory.
In the team standings, France (24) edged Italy by a single point, with Spain (36) beating Belgium to bronze on countback.
A rarity on an otherwise successful day, the British team failed to impress down in sixth, with Mahamed Mahamed placing 12th and Hugo Milner crossing the line in 32nd for the other two scoring results.
Read more – U23 races report: European Cross Country Championships: U23 golds go to Hicks and Battocletti
Read more – U20 races report: European Cross Country Championships: Barnicoat and Forero win U20 titles
Read more: Gibraltar’s athletes look to inspire at European Cross Country Championships
