Nadia Battocletti in action at the European Cross Country Championships (© Getty Images)
Olympic 5000m champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen and Olympic 10,000m silver medallist Nadia Battocletti took the senior titles at the European Cross Country Championships in Antalya on Sunday (8).
Ingebrigtsen won his seventh individual continental cross-country crown and regained his senior title, having been forced to miss last year’s championships through injury, while Battocletti took her first senior European cross-country title, following on from the two European gold medals she won on the track earlier this year.
Britain’s Hugo Milner was the early leader in the men’s race, setting the pace for the first three laps while Ingebrigtsen and Italy’s Yemaneberhan Crippa were positioned close behind. But shortly before the clock ticked over to 16 minutes, Ingebrigtsen hit the front and the lead pack became strung out.
Crippa, defending champion Yann Schrub, Belgium’s Isaac Kimeli and Sweden’s Andreas Almgren were all within a few strides of Ingebrigtsen on the fourth lap. But with less than a kilometre to go, the two-time world champion and double Olympic gold medallist from Norway had started to open up a lead – one which continued to grow through the closing stages.
The 24-year-old crossed the line in 22:16, winning by eight seconds from Crippa. Spain’s Thierry Ndikumwenayo came through to take bronze in 22:33.
In previous years, Battocletti had won two U20 titles and two U23 gold medals at the European Cross, but last year – her first in the senior race – she had to settle for silver. Now a double European champion on the track and an Olympic silver medallist, the Italian was a class apart in Antalya.
France’s Manon Trapp led for the first three laps, pacing a lead pack of six women that also included Battocletti, former winner Yasemin Can and Germany’s Konstanze Klosterhalfen. A few minutes later, Trapp finally surrendered her lead to Can, while Battocletti positioned herself just on the shoulder of the Turk.
Battocletti, Klosterhalfen and Can were still together for most of the fourth lap, but the Italian started to edge ahead in the final kilometres and eventually opened up a comfortable lead over Klosterhalfen.
Battocletti crossed the line in 25:43, 11 seconds ahead of Klosterhalfen. Can took bronze in 26:01.
British athletes won three of the four age-group events, the only exception being the U20 men’s race which was won by Niels Laros of the Netherlands. Laros, who finished second last year, this time ran a well-controlled race and stayed with the lead pack until the final stages before kicking on to win in 14:07, finishing two seconds ahead of Britain’s George Couttie.
Innes Fitzgerald successfully defended her title in the U20 women’s race, while fellow Brit Will Barnicoat did likewise in the U23 men’s event, both of them leading Britain to gold in the team contest. Phoebe Anderson added to Britain’s gold medal haul, taking the U23 women’s title and contributing to their team triumph.
The mixed relay was the closest race of the day. Pietro Arese anchored Italy to victory in 18:02, closely followed by France and Great Britain, both teams recording the same time as the winners.
Leading results
Senior women (7.2km)
1 Nadia Battocletti (ITA) 25:43
2 Konstanze Klosterhalfen (GER) 25:54
3 Yasemin Can (TUR) 26:01
4 Delvine Meringor (ROU) 26:03
5 Jana van Lent (BEL) 26:04
Senior men (7.2km)
1 Jakob Ingebrigtsen (NOR) 22:16
2 Yemaneberhan Crippa (ITA) 22:24
3 Thierry Ndikumwenayo (ESP) 22:31
4 Isaac Kimeli (BEL) 22:33
5 Andreas Almgren (SWE) 22:34
U23 women (6.3km)
1 Phoebe Anderson (GBR) 21:16
2 Maria Forero (ESP) 21:21
3 Ilona Mononen (FIN) 21:24
U23 men (6.3km)
1 Will Barnicoat (GBR) 18:27
2 Nicholas Griggs (IRL) 18:28
3 David Stone (GBR) 18:31
U20 women (4.8km)
1 Innes Fitzgerald (GBR) 15:47
2 Jess Bailey (GBR) 15:58
3 Sofia Thogersen (DEN) 16:03
U20 men (4.8km)
1 Niels Laros (NED) 14:07
2 George Couttie (GBR) 14:09
3 Andreas Fjeld Halvorsen (NOR) 14:16
