Nadia Battocletti has confirmed she will defend her title in the senior women’s race at the Lagoa 2025 SPAR European Cross Country Championships on 14 December.
Battocletti will be seeking her sixth individual title in total at the SPAR European Cross Country Championships having won U20 gold in 2018 and 2019, U23 gold in 2021 and 2022 before graduating to senior gold in Antalya last December.
In doing so, Battocletti became the first woman to win individual titles at U20, U23 and senior level in European Cross Country Championships history. She also became the first Italian winner of the senior women’s title and led Italy to a historic team gold in Dokuma Park last year.
“I am really excited to defend my European cross country title in Lagoa on 14 December,” said Battocletti who is due to make her eighth successive appearance at the European Cross Country Championships since making her debut in the U20 race in 2017.
“Cross country will always have a special place in my heart. My first big international victory came in the U20 race in 2018 and becoming the first woman to complete the set of titles in Antalya last year was an achievement I am very proud of.
“It was also incredible to make history with my friends and teammates by winning the team title for the first time as well. Finishing my season in Lagoa will be the perfect way to end a dream year for me and I am really looking forward to defending both of my titles,” she added.
Superlative year
Battocletti has amassed another superlative year across all distances and surfaces. The 25-year-old eased to yet another continental title in the 10km at the inaugural European Running Championships in Brussels-Leuven in April before excelling on the global stage at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo where she won 10,000m silver and 5000m bronze.
Battocletti also etched her name into the record books by setting her first European record, also in Tokyo in early May. She broke the European road 5km record with 14:32.
Ahead of the SPAR European Cross Country Championships, Battocletti is due to compete in World Athletics Cross Country Tour gold events in Atapuerca and Alcobendas on 23 November and 30 November.
European marathon champion Iliass Aouani, who also won bronze in the marathon at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, and Yohanes Chiappinelli have also been pre-selected for the senior men's team for the SPAR European Cross Country Championships.
Chiappinelli, who finished sixth in the marathon in Tokyo, was the runner-up to Jakob Ingebrigtsen when he won his first U20 title in Chia in 2016.
