Willis and Dijkstra lead British Juniors home in Samorin

Chief Correspondent

News from the European Cross Country Championships in Slovakia

Advertisements

Triathletes lead home the British Junior team in Samorin

As we reported just over a week ago, three British triathletes were selected to represent Great Britain at today’s European Cross Country Championships, held at the x-bionic sphere in Samorin, the same venue as The Championship event from Challenge Family.

Unfortunately the sole female, Erin Wallace, was a late withdrawal from the team this week with injury. There was triathlete interest in the race though, with Delia Slabas (SUI) – the World Junior Duathlon Champion in both 2016 and 2017 – finishing 17th, after fading away from the front group over the closing kilometre. Sclabas also finished second to Great Britain’s Emma Pallant this year in the Aquathlon World Championships.

In the Junior Men’s event, the two ‘triathletes’ in the British team – Matthew Willis and Ben Dijkstra – were 14th and 17th respectively – the first two finishers of the six strong British Junior team entry.

Having qualified at the Slovakian Cross Country Championships, super-swimmer Richard Varga – an ambassador for the race – finished 69th.

SPAR European Cross Country Championships – Sunday 10th December 2017
x-bionic sphere, Samorin, Slovakia

Junior Women

1st – Harriet Knowles-Jones (GBR) – 13:48
2nd – Lili Anna Toth (HUN) – 13:49
3rd – Mirriam Dattke (GER) – 14:03

17th – Delia Slabas (SUI) – 14:21
DNS – Erin Wallace (GBR)

Junior Men

1st – Jakob Ingebrigtsen (NOR) – 18:39
2nd – Ramazan Barbaros (TUR) – 18:41
3rd – Louis Gilbert (FRA) – 18:45

14th – Matthew Willis (GBR) – 18:57
17th – Ben Dijkstra (GBR) – 19:01

25th – William Richardson (GBR) – 19:10
27th – Scott Beattie (GBR) – 19:14
30th – Jake Heyward (GBR) – 19:23
60th – Lachlan Wellington (GBR) – 19:49

Senior Men

1st – Kaan Kigen Ozbillen (TUR) – 29:45
2nd – Adel Mechaal (ESP) – 29:54
3rd – Andrew Butchart (GBR) – 30:00

69th – Richard Varga (SLO) – 32:24

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bcg1H-eFrpf/

John Levison
Written by
John Levison
Latest News
Justus Nieschlag - IRONMAN 70.3 Lanzarote 2023 winner
‘Like a Ferrari and a match for anyone’ – Justus Nieschlag revving up for return
Will McCloy Super League Triathlon
Will McCloy on triathlon passion, future stars and the challenges of commentary
Sam Long Lionel Sanders IRONMAN 703 Gulf Coast 2023 finish line [Photo credit: Julio Aguilar / Getty Images for IRONMAN]
Lionel Sanders says “a lactate monitor doesn’t win a race” as he goes back to basics
Collin Chartier - PTO US Open 2022
Collin Chartier says he is ‘sleeping on the streets’ and has a message for ‘the haters’
PTO European Open 2023 Ibiza - Max Neumann
Max Neumann opts out of Brownlee and Frodeno showdown