Moller's Halloween magic
31 Ottobre 2016Anna Emilie Møller is fast developing into one of Europe's leading young athletes and she further enhanced her reputation on the terrain of home on Saturday
Danish star Møller, 19, was in superb form as she won the 6km race at the European Halloween Cross in Middelfart, the first leg of a new national cross country series. At this European Athletics Cross Country Permit meeting, Moller triumphed by an impressive 31 seconds in 21:35 as she beat Kenya's Sylvia Kiberenge (22:06) and Portugal's Salome Rocha (22:31). On the track, her main event is the 3000m steeplechase and while she failed to make the Olympic final in Rio this summer, she was fifth in Bydgoszcz at the IAAF World U20 Championships. That came a year after a brilliant double at the European Junior Championships in Eskilstuna, where Møller won silver in the 5000m and bronze in the 3000m. Is another European medal on the cards this year? It could well be with the SPAR European Cross Country Championships in Chia in December and Moller's last chance to make an impact in the junior race. Twelve months ago in Hyeres, over 4km, she was sixth but with another year of experience to her her name, and now with this fine success in Denmark, she will be seen as one of the big medal challengers.
It was superb running festival at Faeno Park with Sweden's David Nilsson showing outstanding speed to win the men's 10km in 29:58, a victory by 10 seconds from Danish pair Peter Glans (29:58) and Abdi Ulad (30:15). Like Møller in the women's race, Nilsson banked 1000 euros for his success, with prize money for the top six and the national cross country series now moves on to Region Hovedstaden at the end of next month. In the junior races, home runners dominated the top positions. In the men's race over 6km, Kristian Jensen (20:00) won from Alexander Nielsen (20:23) and Joachim Rosbo (20:34) and in the women's junior race over 4.5km, there was victory for Anna Helwigh (16:44) over Helene Gottlieb (16:53) and Louise Rode (16:56).
The Italian cross country season started on Sunday in the Rome region of Castel Romano with the Cross del Centro Sud where there were wins for Giuseppe Gerratana and Valeria Roffino. All steps now are on the road towards Chia in Sardinia and, of course, there is even greater significance for the Italians with the SPAR European Cross Country Championships being at home. Gerratana has made the first impression with victory over 10km in 31:48 from Said Ettaqy (31:54) and Yassin Bouih (32:05) and at 8km, Roffino won by 14 seconds in 29:19 from Claudia Pinna. Now ahead lie three more important races before selection, with Levico Terme on Sunday, Sgonico the following week and then Osimo on 27 November. And staying in Italy, Valeria Straneo, the 2014 European marathon silver medallist, won the Bari Half Marathon in 1:14:43.
Over 3km in Zajecar, Amela Terzic, the 2012 European junior cross country champion and bronze medallist in the under-23 race last year, won at home in the fourth leg of the Serbian Cross Country series and Turkey celebrated a home win, too, as Esma Aydemir was first over 10km (33:51) in Kocaeli. Away from actually competing this weekend, there was delight for Laura Muir who was rewarded for her brilliant track season by being named as Scottish Athlete of the Year for the second time in a row. Muir, 23, had a fantastic summer which saw her break Kelly Holmes' British 1500m record with 3:57.49 in London and then she lowered it to 3:55.22 in Paris, the quickest time in the world in 2016 where she won the Diamond Race.
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