Nadia Battocletti, victory in cross country debut

Great debut in the new cross-country season for Nadia Battocletti. The European champion wins and convinces at the cross in Atapuerca, Spain, a Gold stage of the world circuit. In her debut race, the Italian star triumphed thanks to a formidable sprint in the final, less than a kilometer from the finish, easily pulling away from her opponents. When there are three weeks to go before the European Championships in Lagoa, on December 14 in Portugal where she will try to confirm last year’s gold medal, she resumes her feeling for a specialty that has always been among her favorites. At the finish line he finished with a time of 22:21 on the 6.821 kilometers on a chilly day with six-degree temperatures, overcast skies and a strong wind on the challenging course around Burgos at nearly 1,000 meters above sea level.

She changes the terrain after her two wonderful world track medals in Tokyo, silver in the 10,000 as at the Paris Games and bronze in the 5,000 meters, but she is still a star at the highest level. Sharply beaten Kenyan Sheila Jebet (22:34), distanced by thirteen seconds after skimming the leading quartet at the beginning of the final round in which the Fiamme Azzurre runner remains in control behind her. Third was Kazakhstan’s Daisy Jepkemei (22:35), last year’s winner and in the lead in the opening stages, fourth instead was Britain’s Megan Keith (22:37) who had come forward in the penultimate lap with the Trento-born woman coached by her dad-coach Giuliano ready to respond and lead for a short distance.

The first victory in the race was in the final lap of the race.

This is the first career victory for the Italian in this Spanish classic at her fourth participation: her best finish had been sixth place three years ago. Next weekend ‘StraordiNadia,’ the leader in the last edition of the World Athletics Cross Country Tour, will return to the start for another international event in Spain in Alcobendas, just outside Madrid, where she took the win last season before becoming queen of Europe.

“Happy for the victory – comments Nadia Battocletti – in a race also made difficult by the weather conditions, with so much cold and wind. But I am happy to have regained confidence with XC on a beautiful course, staying clear until the end to be able to choose the right moment. It means I’m doing well, and on Sunday I’ll be competing again in Alcobendas with the goal of checking my form ahead of the European Championships.”