Twice European U20 cross country medallist Sofia Thøgersen took a confidence boosting victory in the senior women’s race at the Danish Cross Country Championships in Kolding on Saturday (22).
The 20-year-old had company for much of the race, with Alberte Kjær and the resurgent Anna Holm keeping the pressure high.
But when the headwind hit on the final circuit, Thøgersen was the only athlete able to lift the pace, dropping her rivals with a composed and confident acceleration. Kjær followed home nine seconds later, with Holm completing the podium.
The defending champion said afterwards that her performance confirms she is building form at just the right moment ahead of next month’s SPAR European Cross Country Championships, where she will race in the U23 race: “My plan was to sit in and push late. I’m happy with how strong I felt in the last 500 metres, and I hope to be even sharper for the Europeans.”
In the men’s race, AGF’s Mikkel Dahl-Jessen delivered a textbook display of front-running, breaking clear on the final lap to secure the King’s Cup ahead of Elliot Smith-Rasmussen, with Jacob Ejby Stengaard taking bronze.
