Sergiy Lebid bites his seventh European XC gold (© Hasse Sjögren)
Seven times SPAR European Cross Country Champion Sergiy Lebid will lead the Ukrainian team to Brussels, Belgium, for the 2008 edition of the meet on 14 December.
The women's champion from 2006, Tetyana Holovchenko, will also compete. The 28-year-old will be the sole Ukrainian athlete in the senior’s women’s category, while defending men's champion Lebid will be joined by Yevhen Bozhko, Ihor Heletiy and Vitaliy Rybak to represent Ukraine in the men’s senior race.
Back from his training camp in Kislovodsk, Lebid shared his thoughts ahead of this weekend’s race and the coming season.
Are you feeling the pressure ahead of Brussels because of your seven previous wins?
"It’s normal if my compatriots want to watch not only spectacular competitions, but want their athletes to triumph too. I raised the bar of expectations greatly myself by winning my previous titles at the European Cross Country Championships."
"But no I don’t dwell on my titles…I don’t think about my responsibilities to my country and my fans."
"The Brussels meeting is my first competition of the winter season, so we’ll look to see what results my autumn’s preparation will bring (this weekend)."
Does that mean you are not confident about winning the continental title again?
"If I knew in advance that I would not be fit enough to fight for first place, there would be no sense in running at all. I have only one goal - to win! But let's not make plans too early! That sort of thing (making predictions) is a mug’s game."
Do you know the Brussels course?
"Yeah! I have run on this course several times. It couldn't be called a highly complicated course. There are some difficult areas with mud and slopes but I’m ready to cope with my task."
Are you preparing some special tactics?
"No plans and no tactics in advance! I go to the start of the race and only then do I think about tactics. Usually I do the same, that is, try and hold an advantageous position in the leading group and then make a kick before the finish."
What are your plans for the new winter season?
"Last year I sacrificed the World Cross Country Championships to make good preparations for the Beijing Olympics but in the end did not qualify. My summer season was not easy because of injuries. Now I’m feeling good but I haven’t spoken with my manager yet (about competitions). So we’ll first look for my result at these European Cross Country Championships and only then make decisions."
"I hope my run will show I'm in good shape to begin a superb season with the World Cross Country Championships (in Amman, Jordan, 28 March 2009) at the climax."
Liudmyla Iakusheva for the IAAF
