Marta Domínguez brings the home the European XC gold at home in Toro (© Hasse Sjögren)
Marta Domínguez delivered what the enthusiastic crowd at the Monte La Reina circuit came to see: a commanding victory and the first-ever gold medal for a Spanish female athlete at today’s 14th SPAR European Cross Country Championships.
The 32-year-old Spaniard now holds an unprecedented hat trick of gold medals since in her career she has European 3000m indoor, 5000m outdoor and Cross Country gold medals.
It was Russia’s Maria Konovalova who dictated the pace in the early stages with all the favourites – Ukraine’s defending champion Tetyana Holovchenko, Domínguez, Hungary’s Aniko Kalovics – in hot attendance.
It was Kalovics who partially decided the race as she stepped-up the pace and only the Spanish pair of Domínguez and top steeplechaser Rosa Morató plus France’s Julie Coulaud could manage to stay with her.
But Kalovics was a victim of her own tactic and she had already lost ground by the bell. At that point the only question remaining was the order of the first three. Much to the delight of the crowd, Morató and Domínguez took turns in the lead and the decisive movement came with 450 to go when the double European 5000m champion delivered a devastating attack to which neither Coulaud nor Morató could respond.
Entering the stadium with a decisive lead, Domínguez waved to the appreciative crowd, blew kisses and crossed herself repeatedly before reaching the line in 26:58, three seconds clear of Coulaud, herself another three seconds ahead of Morató.
“Today has been a perfect day: gold medal, both individually and as a team, what more can I ask for,” said Domínguez, who was competing for the first time in the European XC.
“The wind was very annoying so I decided to run tucked in behind the leaders and my tactic paid off. I have to recognise that my the cross country has never been my focus but this year was the perfect one to peak for that as the event’s venue is barely 120km away from home and that’s important for me. After my lay-off in summer when I could not go for Osaka through injury I resumed training, I felt quite strong and decided then to build up seriously for Toro.”
“I will not contest Edinburgh Worlds nor Valencia indoors as my only focus now is the Beijing Olympics although I haven’t decided yet which event I‘m going to contest.”
Spanish double as team gold is also theirs
Spain also got the team gold medal with a scoring of 33 points while Great Britain snatched silver (47) and Portugal took the bronze (69).
U23 Race - Bobocel from gun to tape
Romania’s Ancuta Bobocel became U-23 champion with a brave display of front running. Right from the start the 2005 European Cross Country Junior champion pulled away from the rest of the field and built a handsome margin of 12 seconds by halfway on Adriene Herzog, of The Netherlands, and Poland’s European U-23 3000m champion Katarzyna Kowalska.
At the bell Bobocel’s advantage had dropped to six seconds but she maintained her lead over the closing 1500m to clinch her fourth consecutive medal at the European XC in 22:35.
A delighted Herzog managed to leave Kowalska on the home straight to take silver barely two seconds adrift Bobocel, while the Pole had a comfortable bronze nine seconds behind Bobocel, who took revenge of Kowalska’s win in Debrecen when they came 1-2 in the 3000m Steeplechase.
The winner declared: “I always build up really hard for these Championships and managed to develop my pre-race tactic which was to push hard from the gun. I felt really strong and didn’t worry too much about the rest. Obviously the barriers were not a problem since the steeplechase event is my specialist one on the track season. My next target is to perform as good as possible at the Beijing Olympics,” said the winner.
The team event was a close contest as the gold medal went to Great Britain with 47 points while Russia took a narrow second place (55) ahead of Poland (58).
Junior Race – Twell defends
Britain’s Stephanie Twell created a little bit of history as the first Junior woman to win two successive titles. With a strong front-running performance from mid-race, Stephanie out-duelled Poland’s Danuta Urbanik and the 16-year-old fellow Briton and training-mate Charlotte Purdue.
“I had the pressure to be the favourite but I managed to overcome it. Winning for the second time is a great accomplishment,” said Twell, nearly overcome with emotion after her 14:12 run over the 4.2km course, to reach the line three seconds ahead of Grovdal.
“My parents and friends were her to give me support and to recognise their voices throughout the race has been fantastic”.
Asked on whether she can be branded as ‘the new Paula Radcliffe’ the 18-year-old replied: “Of course, I would like to follow in Paula’s footsteps”. Twell will have the chance to manage an unprecedented third junior title in a row next year in Ostende.
With the 1-3 finish by Twell and Purdue, along with Charlotte Roach’s 4th and Emily Pidgeon’s 6th, the British romped to the fourth team title in a row with 14 points, the lowest scoring in the championships history, well ahead of Russia (50) and Ukraine (57).
Emeterio Valiente for the IAAF
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On the path to Edinburgh 2008
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