by Alfonz Juck
European Athletics, photo by PhotoRun.netThe European Championships will be held in Samorin, Slovakia on December 10, 2017. 51 countries have options to send teams to the European Championships. Here’s some updates the teams that will be attending.
SAMORIN NEWS
ANKARA (TUR): Turkey have announced full teams and a mixed relay team for the European Cross Country Championships in Samorin on 10 December. The senior women’s team includes last year’s champion Yasemin Can and silver medallist Meryam Akdag while the senior men’s team also includes the gold and silver medallists from last year in Aras Kaya and Polat Arikan Kemboi along with former winner Ali Kaya.
DUBLIN (IRL): Former two-time winner Fionnuala McCormack leads a 27-strong Irish team for the European Cross Country Championships in Samorin on 10 December. It will be her record 15th appearance at the event. No other female runner has more in the history of the event (in men category Sergiy Lebid has 19 and Gabriele De Nard 17). McCormack is joined on the senior women’s team by Olympians Kerry O’Flaherty, Michelle Finn and Lizzie Lee. National cross country champion Paul Pollock leads the senior men’s team.
VIENNA (AUT): Austria which is neighbour country of Slovakia will send to European CC Championships in Samorin its biggest team ever. They are 22 runners in the team. The best positions are expected from U20 runner Stefan Schmid and senior participants Andreas Vojta with Valentin Pfeil. Interesting the participation of Julia Hauser who competed at Rio Games 2016 in triathlon. In total five teams will be competing, missing only women U23 and relay.
ALCOBENDAS (ESP): Adel Mechaal and Trihas Gebre achieved podium positions on Sunday at the Alcobendas CC race. That shows their goals will be high at the European Championships in Samorin. Both are thinking about the podium. Mechaal and Gebre will be the leaders of the Spanish team that will be announced this week.
BRATISLAVA (SVK): Host country Slovakia also closed the selection process for the European CC event. The team will have the biggest number ever, in total 21 runners. The only missing teams will be both in U23 category, but individual women will compete also here. Relay participation is planned too. Top names are best marathon runners Tibor Sahajda and Jozef Urban, 800 m record holder and Olympian Jozef Repcik for the mixed relay and also 11th from Rio 2016 triathlon Richard Varga.
BRUSSELS (BEL): Belgium announced the selection of 16 runners for Samorin. For the seniors, two men and two women are chosen, out of the team is for example Isaac Kimeli who won last year the men U23 race.
PARIS (FRA): France added into its initial senior and U23 selections (full teams) also the teams for boys and girls U20 categories. Mathilde Senechal leads the girls, there is also 17 years old Claire Carrere. Among the boys Louis Gilavert and Yani Khelaf as headliners, also here one 17 years old Antoine Senard.
