Text by Athletics Podium

Europe's some finest distance runners from thirty-six countries were in contention on Dublin's outside county Fingal in the beautiful afternoon for delayed action of European XC. The host Irish Athletics provided a well-designed course for the event, originally scheduled in 2020 but postponed after Covid-19 crisis.

The traditional leader of XC events, Great Britain retain their top position by securing eight medals including five golds in Dublin, meanwhile Norwegians lustered on the podium with individual seniors titles by Jacob Ingebrigtsen and evergreen Karoline Bjerkeli Grovdal.

Jacob Ingebrigtsen, one of the finalists of World Athlete of The Year award with his amazing season in basically sweeping everything, has ruled the senior men race. The tall and dynamic 21-year old ran inside the lead group in early laps with easy jogging to consolidate his position. After the bell ringing for the final lap, he took the lead from Turkish runner Aras Kaya, a two-time winner, then extended the distance. He found the finish line 14 seconds before Kaya, the biggest gap in the men's event since 2015. Ingebrigtsen add fifth gold to his Euro XC collection, the previous four were at U20 level.

Aras Kaya has brought Turkey's only medal in Dublin as Frenchman Jimmy Gressier made the podium after four seconds from Turkish rival. Gressier played a crucial role in France's team title that came after 10 years. 

GROOVY GROVDAL
All aside, the story of the day came from Karoline Bjerkeli Grovdal. The 31-year-old from Norway appeared ninth time on this championships, previously had five-time podium places in seniors - but never wins a gold. Meanwhile, she has returned back to "winning territory" because her only gold at European Cross came here twelve years ago. 

Four-time champion Yasemin Can was in the contest but she's not looked in a good shape in the beginning. After first lap, Can dropped back a bit while Grovdal is accelerating alongside Meraf Bahta and Konstanze Klosterhalfen. Steering pace from Nordic duo downs Klosterhalfen in the fourth lap though, Bahta and Grovdal entered final lap side by side. Norwegian quickly built some considerable gap between Swedish rival, then retain her own position until the end. With the result, Grovdal secured her eight medals since 2006 and took a step closer to all-time championship leader Sergey Lebid who owns 12 podiums in 19 appearances.

"I saw the Swedish girl, Meraf falling behind, but I knew it was going to be a tough one from there. I think the start wasn't easy, as I was a little behind, which made me feel a bit concerned, but then I slowly caught up with the girls leading the pack - that's also the reason I still had some energy left towards the end", Grovdal said after the race.

Considering both senior races, Norway just became only second country after Turkey to secure both individual crowns simultaneously. Yet another medal they added the account in senior men's team, a bronze - edging Ireland whose missed the podium by four points. Also, two Norwegian juniors in U20 races were grabbed couple of silver as the team reached five podiums overall.

CROSSING LADY: BATTOCLETTI
Women's U23 individual gold went to Tokyo Olympian Nadia Battocletti of Italy. Two-time U20 champion Battocletti attacked in the final lap to crack six athletes pack on the lead and confidently found to home stretch. She wins the race by four seconds ahead of Slovenia's Klara Lukan, who also runner-up to her in European U23 5000 metres final earlier this year.

US-based Stanford University student Charles Hicks was crowned in U23 men's race beating Ireland's Darragh McElhinney who has entered in final lap three-second lead. By the way, Hicks timely kicked and secured the title from him in front of colorful Irish spectators.

Megan Keith of Britain took the gold in U20 women's race but Great Britain lost their four-time team winning streak to Germany. On the men's side, Denmark wins their fourth European XC gold thanks to youngster Axel Christensen who built greatest winning gap of the day with twenty-five seconds.  

BRITS BACK
European Cross Country's mixed-race was a hectic contest in Fingal. Attendance with eleven teams, Ireland took an early lead after Ciara Mageean's good opening leg, but Britain, France and Belgium all hanged up on the line. Britain took a slight advantage second and third leg before taking up for the final turn as Ireland and Belgium have seen in a fight for second just ahead of close followers France and Spain. On the very final straight of the race, Britain comfortably wins third gold in four attempts, France's Alexis Miellet came from behind to take silver as Belgium's Stijn Baeten just edged exhausted Irish anchor leg, Andrew Coscoran.