Five athletes who are expected to be among the medal contenders at the 2015 SPAR European Cross Country Championships faced the media on Saturday, a day ahead of this year’s edition of the championships and on this occasion the spot light was firmly on the women as three of the leading contenders for the senior women’s title were on the stage.
Great Britain’s Gemma Steel was afforded the first opportunity to answer questions and, as the defending champion, natural she was asked about her chances of retaining her title.
“I’d like to think so (if she is in shape to defend her title),” said Steel.
“(The Netherlands’) Sifan Hassan is running well, so there are lots to look out for. It’s anyone’s race on the day really. I know from last year it all came together for me so we will have to see what happens.”
“I’m quite confident and optimistic about the race. I also hope we can replicate what we did last year (when Great Britain won the senior women’s team title) as this is a strong team. Steph (Twell) is running really well and Sonia (Samuels) had a good run at the marathon in Berlin so everybody is going from strength to strength and I think that bodes well for the team.
“The trials were a good test for me because obviously Kate (Avery, 2014 SPAR European Cross Country Championships silver medallist) is one of the main challengers, like last year. It was nice to get a win and it’s good to know that I’ve got a little bit of an edge but there’s never much between us.”
Sitting alongside Steel was her predecessor, France’s 2013 champion Sophie Duarte.
“It’s a great honour for France to be organising these championships. When I stand on the start line of a race, it’s always with the aim of gold and tomorrow will be no different. Although there’s a long list of strong contestants I hope to win again like I did in 2013.
Sifan Hassan won the under-23 title at the SPAR European Cross Country Championships to herald here emergence onto the international stage and her most recent accolade was an IAAF World Championships Beijing 2015 1500m bronze medal.
Many pundits feel that the hard and fast course on Sunday may well be suited to her talents.
“If feeling great, and I’m feeling so happy that everything has been going so well ahead of the race. After the world championships in Beijing I rested for a few weeks and then started back in training. I won the Tilburg cross country race last month (an EA Cross Country Permit meeting) for the third time and it was my fastest ever time so I think I can say I am in better shape than last year,” she reflected, giving out a gentle warning to the two women alongside her on the stage.
Local star Florian Carvalho, who won European cross country titles as a junior and under-23, has become the poster boy for this event so it was surprise to see the normally clean-shaven athlete arrive sporting a full hipster beard.
However, he joked that he wasn’t under any pressure to shave off his recent addition to make him more recognisable to French athletics fans.
“I finished fourth in last year’s championships but I don’t have a position I would like to finish this year in my head, I just want to do as well as possible. If I have the possibility for a medal I will take it but maybe I will finish four, five or six; these races are different from when you are a junior!”
Spain’s Carlos Mayo won the 2014 junior men’s silver medal in this event and in the last month has impressed in his domestic high quality races, which led to him being voted as the European Athletics Athlete of the Month for November.
“This year I am running in the under-23 category and there are again a lot of good athletes running like (Belgium’s Issac Kimeli) but I will try to fight for a medal again. Overall, the Spanish team is strong and we may be even the favourites for the senior men’s team gold medal.”