The Argentinean coastal city of Mar del Plata hosted the XXI edition of the South American Cross Country Championships on the weekend of 4-5 March, where Brazil ended being the most successful nation while obtaining 3 individual victories.
All the winners, along with the champion team of each category, secured a place at the 34th IAAF World Cross Country Championships, which will take place in Fukuoka, Japan, on 1-2 April.
The Naval Base of Mar del Plata was a perfect venue, and the weather at the end of the summer in the Southern hemisphere was extremely nice, with temperatures around 25ºC.
Hudson de Souza repeats victory in the short race
Brazilian Hudson de Souza, multiple record-holder in middle distances in the track, took the victory by one second in the 4km short race in 11:24, ahead of Chilean Jonathan Monje. It was Hudson’s second victory at the event, after the one in 2002.
The men’s long race (12Km) was taken by Colombian Javier Guarín in 36:29, with 2 coincidences. Monje was also second –as in the short race– and it was Guarín’s second title as well.
In the junior’s races, Brazilian Joílson da Silva (25:05) won the under-20 event, while Chilean Víctor Aravena (12:01) triumphed in the under-18.
Girls provide 2 good Peruvian victories
Argentinean Valeria Rodríguez repeated her 2003 gold in the short event (4Km), which she won in 13:34, beating Bolivian Rosa Apaza by 1 second. Rodríguez’s triumph was the only individual one by the hosts.
Nineteen year-old Peruvian Inés Melchor entered the senior category with a very fine victory in the long race (8Km) in 27:55, also leaving Apaza in second place.
Another Peruvian, Karina Villasana, finished in first place in the 6Km under-20 race in 21:58, while Brazilian Adriely Araújo –running barefoot– won the 3Km under-18 event in 10:44.
Eduardo Biscayart for the IAAF
Results
Men
Short - 4Km (4)
1 Hudson de Souza BRA 11:24
2 Jonathan Monje CHI 11:25
3 Roberto Echeverría CHI 11:26
Team champion: Chile
Long - 12Km (5)
1 Javier Alexander Guarín COL 36:29
2 Jonathan Monje CHI 36:55
3 Byron Piedra ECU 37:06
Team champion: Brazil
Juniors – 8Km (5)
1 Joílson da Silva BRA 25:05
2 Mario Bazán PER 25:09
3 Reginaldo Campos BRA 25:13
Team champion: Brazil
Youth – 4Km (4)
1 Víctor Aravena CHI 12:01
2 Joaquín Arbe ARG 12:20
3 Eduardo Diano URU 12:22
Team champion: Chile
Women
Short – 4Km (5)
1 Valeria Rodríguez ARG 13:34
2 Rosa Apaza BOL 13:35
3 Yeisy Álvarez VEN 13:38
Team champion: Argentina
Long – 8Km (4)
1 Inés Melchor PER 27:55
2 Rosa Apaza BOL 28:08
3 Maria Lúcia Alves Vieira BRA 28:11
Team champion: Venezuela
Junior – 6Km (5)
1 Karina Villasana PER 21:58
2 Rocío Cántara PER 22:02
3 Michele das Chagas BRA 22:13
Team champion: Peru
Youth – 3Km (4)
1 Adriely Araújo BRA 10:44
2 Cynthia Ubilla CHI 10:48
3 Bárbara González CHI 10:50
Team champion: Chile
