Campaccio, Yeman Crippa on the podium

Yeman Crippa on the podium

Italy is back on the podium at Campaccio, as it hasn’t been for eight years in the cross in San Giorgio su Legnano (Milan). The credit goes to Yeman Crippa, excellent third after leading a courageous race, attacking in the penultimate of the five laps and leading the group until a few hundred meters from the finish line. It starts on the right foot the 2023 of the Italian, European champion of the 10,000, who excites the public by running with personality in the first stage of the year for the top world circuit of the specialty, the World Athletics Cross Country Tour Gold.

Exciting the men’s challenge resolved in a sprint by the Burundian Rodrigue Kwizera, leader of edition number 66 at the end of the 10 km ahead of Birhanu Balew (Bahrain) practically at the photo finish. Then there is the Trentino of the Fiamme Oro, at five seconds, to confirm his good moment of form by overtaking this time the Ugandan Oscar Chelimo (Atl. Casone Noceto), bronze in the 5000 at the World Championships, who had instead beaten him in Bolzano on New Year’s Day. It was since 2015 with Andrea Lalli second and Daniele Meucci third, in that case with no Africans at the start, that an Italian had not finished in the top three. On the women’s side, Nadia Battocletti (Fiamme Azzurre) was fourth, grabbing her best result in this cross-country classic after a string of sixth places. The reigning European under-23 champion, who celebrated her fourth consecutive triumph in the youth categories at the continental level, returns to action to finish seven seconds off the podium. Eritrea’s Rahel Daniel, who was already second last year, won the 6-kilometer race, regulating Kenyan Margaret Chelimo Kipkemboi in the final while another Kenyan Mirriam Chebet finished third. From an Italian perspective, the seventh place of Yohanes Chiappinelli (Carabinieri) and the eighth place of Italian champion Iliass Aouani (Fiamme Azzurre) should also be highlighted, with the same placings among women for Ludovica Cavalli (Aeronautica) seventh and Giovanna Selva (Carabinieri) eighth. Adding their names to the Campaccio roll of honor are therefore the two athletes, Kwizera and Daniel, winners in last season’s world tour, signatures of authorship for an event that on the eve received the prestigious World Athletics Heritage Plaque.