by Alfonz Juck
TURIN (ITA): Norway’s Karoline Bjerkeli Grovdal will be looking to defend her title in Piemonte-La Mandria Park on Sunday. The European gold medal in the 10,000m this summer shows Yasemin Can of Turkey is still very capable of contending for victories. Another reigning European champion will also be in action. Germany’s Konstanze Klosterhalfen is seeking to add more luster to a perfect season. However, the German challenge could be led by Alina Reh. Germany will still be strong contenders to win their first-ever senior women’s team title, along with the British team and the team of Sweden. From European Athletics.
TURIN (ITA): Jakob Ingebrigtsen of Norway bids to add another jewel to his crown as the latter-day king of European middle and long-distance running in defending the senior men’s title. The field also includes four other European medallists, Mohamed Katir of Spain, Italy’s Yemaneberhan Crippa, Yann Schrub from France, and Osama Zoghlami from Italy. But do not forget Serbia’s Elzan Bibic, the recent winner of the Warandecross in Tilburg. Andreas Vojta of Austria will be making his 13th appearance in the championships, putting him third on the all-time list. Ingebrigtsen will also be on a Norway team mission, joined by brothers Filip and Henrik; French and Italian teams will also be strong. From European Athletics.
TURIN (ITA): The Great Britain and Northern Ireland squad will have a battle on their hands to maintain their domination of the mixed relay title. But the attractive relay competition will also have many other teams looking for medals. Interestingly, the Croatian team includes Bojana Bjeljac who arrives fresh from setting a Croatian record in the Valencia Marathon. From European Athletics.
TURIN (ITA): Italian cross-country champion Ilias Aouani has been forced to withdraw from the Italian team after testing positive for coronavirus. Aouani also won the test event in La Mandria Park last month.
BIRMINGHAM (GBR): World indoor 3000m bronze medallist Marc Scott has pulled out of the British team for the Euro Cross. He has been replaced by Ellis Scott. “I have big goals for 2023, and I don’t want to jeopardize them when I know I’m not 100 percent,” Scott wrote on Instagram.
BRUSSELS (BEL): Veteran Belgian marathon runner Mieke Gorissen has pulled out of the European Cross Country Championships due to a foot injury.
