Recently crowned European cross country champions Thierry Ndikumwenayo and Maria Forero have been named on Spain’s team of 20 athletes for the World Cross Country Championships in Tallahassee, United States on 10 January.
Ndikumwenayo, who stunned world 10,000m champion Jimmy Gressier in a sprint finish in Lagoa on Sunday, was the highest-placed European finisher in the senior men’s race at the 2024 World Cross Country Championships in Belgrade, Serbia where he finished ninth.
Ndikumwenayo is joined on the Spanish team by Abdessamad Oukhelfen and Aaron Las Heras, who finished sixth and ninth respectively in Lagoa and helped Spain to a successful defence of their senior men’s team title. The fourth counter is Jaime Migallon who won 10,000m bronze at the 2025 European Athletics U23 Championships.
After winning the European U23 cross country title on Sunday, Maria Forero steps up into the senior women’s race. The team also includes Idaira Prieto and Angela Viciosa, who finished 17th and 18th respectively in the senior women’s race in Lagoa, and reigning Spanish cross country champion Carolina Robles.
Spain will also be sending teams in both the men’s and women’s U20 races in Tallahassee.
The full Spanish team can be found here.
