At last year’s Championships in Chia, Turkey claimed the individual male and female senior titles and Aras Kaya and Yasemin Can will be looking to defend their titles in Samorin. Yasemin Can will be aiming to become just the second athlete in championship history to claim back-to-back titles in the senior women’s race.
Seven of the top eight finishers from the senior women’s race in Chia will be on the start-line in Samorin, including former two-time champion Fionnuala McCormack from Ireland, who is set to make her record 15th appearance at the European Cross-Country Championships.
For the first time ever, all three Ingebrigtsen brothers will be competing on the Norwegian team. Jakob will defend his U20 title while older brothers, Filip and Henrik, will be competing in the senior men’s race.
Reigning two-time U20 champion, Konstanze Klosterhalfen, from Germany will step up into the U23 ranks alongside teammate, Alina Reh, while the men’s U23 race features Spain’s, Carlos Mayo, and Italy’s, Yemaneberhan Crippa – last year’s silver and bronze medallists.
With Klosterhalfen no longer eligible for the U20 race, Switzerland’s Delia Sclabas, 17, begins as the arguable favourite. She claimed a 1,500/3,000m double at the European Athletics U18 Championships in 2016 and the 3,000m title at the European Athletics U20 Championships in Grosseto this year.
For the first time in the history of the European Cross-Country Championships, the programme includes a mixed relay event. The UK has named a particularly strong line-up with Charlie Grice and Sarah McDonald among the standout names.
Live streaming of the European Cross-Country Championships will be available on the European Athletics website from 8:45 local time on 10 December so be sure to tune in.
See the full entry list here.
