Elvan Abeylegesse wins the 2007 European Cup 10,000m in Ferrara (© Lorenzo Sampaolo)
Ferrara, ItalyA successful edition of the 10,000 metres European Cup was held yesterday (7) on a warm and windy afternoon which, although both races were highly entertaining, prevented fast times and made the task of obtaining the qualifying standard for the World Championships in Osaka very difficult.
Favourite Elvan Abeylegesse from Turkey and the surprising André Pollmächer from Germany took the women’s and men’s honours respectively. Team titles went to strong Spanish squads which clinched wins ahead of host nation Italy in both men's and women's competitions.
While Abeylegesse’s second consecutive win in the 10,000 metres European Cup after last year’s victory in a heavy downpour in Antalya was not a surprise, Pollmächer clinched a totally unexpected triumph which was reminiscent of last summer’s gold medal by his compatriot Jan Fitschen over the same distance at the European Championships in Gothenburg.
WOMEN
Pacemaker Zakia Mrisho from Tanzania helped to keep-up the pace in the first half of the women’s race which was launched at a consistent speed with the objective of pursuing the World Championships standard (click here).
Mrisho took the early lead running 1 km in 3:06:78 and 2 km in 6:11.98 closely followed by Germany’s Sabrina Mockenhaupt (past winner of this event in 2005), defending champion Elvan Abeylegesse, Great Britain’s Jo Pavey and Ukraine’s Tetyana Holovchenko.
Mrisho finished her pacemaking task at 6 km after clocking 15:39.33 in the first 5 km. After halfway Mockenhaupt (fourth at the 3000m at the 2007 European Indoors) took the lead for two kilometres closely followed by Abeylegesse and Pavey until 7 km (21:59.09). Abeylegesse pulled away after 7 km dropping a very tired Mockenhaupt who was forced to drop out.
With 2 km to go Abeylegesse (passed the 8 km in 25:11) built up a comfortable 20 second-margin on Pavey. The Briton faded in the final 2 kilometres and was overhauled by reigning European Cross Country champion Tetyana Holovchenko from the Ukraine and Natalie De Vos from Belgium who finished strongly in the closing 2 kilometres taking the podium placings.
So Abeylegesse had quickly bounced back from her disappointment at the World Cross Country Championships in Mombasa where she finished a distant 28th in hot and humid conditions. The Turkish star, who held the 5000 metres World record until June 2006 with 14:24.68, has become the first woman in this event to notch up a second consecutive win with a commanding victory in 31:25.15. Holovchenko was runner-up in 31:59.98 ahead of Nathalie De Vos (32:07.62) and Jo Pavey (32:21.19).
Spain lifted the women’s team trophy with a final time of 1:39:02 with Rosa Morato first Spaniard in fifth place in 32:23.61 ahead of Italy (1:39.40).
“Conditions were much better than in Mombasa. After suffering from hot conditions at the World Championships, the weather in Ferrara was more ideal for running. I am grateful to Italy because it was in this country that I won my first major title at the European Junior Championships in Grosseto 2001.”
“My goal this year is to double 5000 and 10,000 metres at the World Championships in Osaka. After many fast times I want to win medals this year. I will return to Turkey where I will prepare for the summer season at altitude. My next races are scheduled on 26-27 May at the European Club Championships,” said Abeylegesse.
MEN
The men’s race produced a big surprise with André Pollmächer producing an impressive but narrow win in 28:17.17 over Austrian 3000 metres Steeplechase specialist Günther Weidlinger after a dramatic sprint in the final 200 metres. Spain went to the top of the team podium defending its strong reputation in this event thanks to a third place by Carlos Castillejo. The Spaniards won their sixth men’s title beating Italy (1:26.55 to 1:27.44) with Portugal clinching third place.
In the men’s race Wilson Businei from Uganda was the man in charge of keeping the pace in the early stages of the race until 6 km. He was accompanied by Italian hero Cosimo Caliandro, the new European Indoor 3000m champion (dropped back after 3km and out of the race by 5km), in a leading group which also included Pollmächer, Weidlinger, Castillejo, Rui Pedro Silva from Portugal and Valyl Matvichuk from Ukraine.
Businei did a good job running 14:05.44 at halfway with Silva, Pollmächer, Weidlinger and Matvichuk for company with Businei dropping out after passing 6 km in 16:59.13.
With 3 km to go the race developed into a battle between Wedlinger and Pollmächer who went to the front pulling away from Castillejo and Matvichuk who tried hard not to lose ground on the leading duo.
By 8 km Weidlinger and Pollmächer (passed in 22:36.91) had built up a 13-second-gap over Castillejo. The front duo’s fight remained unpredictable until the final 200 metres. The Austrian kept running in the lead determined to pull clear of Pollmächer but the German did not lose ground and in the final straight launched a devastating kick which secured the third German win in the history of this event after Dieter Baumann’s victories in 1997 and 2002.
With Weidlinger (28:19.11) closing out just behind, some way back came Castilljo (28:32.70) and then Matvichuk (28:34.98) with Silva edging out Daniele Meucci of Italy by just four hundredths of a second in the sprint for fifth place but it was not enough for the Portuguese team to strip host nation Italy of second place in the men’s team ranking behind Spain.
“I expected to finish in the top five but the win was a surprise. I wanted to qualify for Osaka but after a good pace in the first kilometres the hopes to get the standard for Osaka vanished at 6 km. I tried to do my best to qualify for the World Championships but it was too warm today. I will try again in Hengelo at the end of May,” said Pollmächer.
“I am happy with the result but I wanted to achieve the standard for Osaka. The pacing was good and the conditions were perfect for me. I will now focus more on 5000 metres and 3000 Steeplechase to pursue the qualification for Osaka,” said Weidlinger.
Diego Sampaolo for the IAAF
Results:
Men:
1 Andreas Pollmächer (Germany) 28:17.17
2 Gunther Weidlinger (Austria) 28:19.11
3 Carlos Castilljo (Spain) 28:32.70
4 Vasyl Matvichuk (Ukraine) 28:34.98
5 Rui Pedro Silva (Portugal) 28:56.66
6 Daniele Meucci (Italy) 28:56.70
7 Ivan Hierro (Spain) 29:05.68
8 Sander Schutgens (Netherlands) 29:07.41
9 José Rios (Spain) 29:16.71
10 Gian Marco Buttazzo (Italy) 29:17.10
Team results:
1 Spain 1:26.65
2 Italy 1:27:44
3 Portugal 1:27.48
Women:
1 Elvan Abeylegesse (Turkey) 31:25.15
2 Tetyana Holovchenko (Ukraine) 31:59.98
3 Nathalie De Vos (Belgium) 32:07.62
4 Jo Pavey (Great Britain) 32:21.19
5 Rosa Maria Morato (Spain) 32:23.61
6 Fatna Maraoui (Italy) 33:05.79
7 Isabel Checa (Spain) 33 :09.19
8 Silvia Sommaggio (Italy) 33:14.97
9 Renate Rungger (Italy) 33:19.76
10 Maria Elena Moreno (Spain) 33:29.43
Team results:
1 Spain 1:39.02
2 Italy 1:39.40
