Willis and Dijkstra lead British Juniors home in Samorin

The 2017 European Cross Country Championships in Samorin, Slovakia had several triathlon connections, including the venue! Here's our roundup...
Chief Correspondent
Last updated -
Get the ultimate guide to destination racing

News from the European Cross Country Championships in Slovakia

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
TRI247's Chief Correspondent, John has been involved in triathlon for well over 30 years, 15 of those writing on these pages, whilst he can also be found commentating for events across the UK.
Discover more
Challenge Sardinia location
Let’s race… Challenge Forte Village Sardinia
Are calf sleeves actually worth it for triathletes? How many watts aero calf compression sleeves could save you
Laura Siddall Patagonman Xtreme Triathlon 2023
Are we in a triathlon boom, or hurtling towards burnout? Laura Siddall on the growth of the sport
Is sports nutrition bad for you? Ultra-processed foods are under siege, and athletes are caught in the cross fire – but should we be worried?
Challenge Barcelona 2023 - Photo Credit: Jose Luis Hourcade
The ultimate city break triathlon race-cations: from Challenge Barcelona to Singapore T100 these are the best city centre races to combine multisport with sightseeing
latest News
Spencer Matthews wetsuit Antarctica
“Life-threatening”: Inside the Antarctic swim that nearly broke Spencer Matthews and PROJECT SE7EN
British Triathlon World Class Programme announcement graphic 2026
Strength in depth underlined as British Triathlon unveils World Class Programme additions for LA 2028 and beyond
Sam Dickinson run French Riviera T100 2025
After exceeding T100 expectations, Sam Dickinson spells out his biggest goal – and his top tip for age groupers
Ariana Luterman finish line IRONMAN
‘What if I live?’ – how tackling a triathlon world record transformed the healing process for Ariana Luterman
Morgan Pearson finish Qatar T100 2025
Pearson finishes T100 campaign on a high but admits winner Wilde “is another level right now”
triathlon on your terms
Never miss out with our triathlon alerts & digest. Get a dose of adventure & inspiration with Boundless.
247 Endurance

The home of endurance sports

TRI247-LOGO_Primary-Black_RGB-1

CHOOSE YOUR MEMBERSHIP TO BECOME PART OF SOMETHING EPIC

We’re on a mission to elevate the world of endurance sport, becoming your go-to resource for expert training tips and inspiration, unbiased reporting and creating a platform for grassroots voices. But we can’t do it without you on board! Choose a TRI247+ membership option below and become part of something epic.

All plans include a 7-day free trial

£7.95/month

Unlimited access. No ads. A whole library of tips, advice and inspiration at your finger tips, and the chance to shape the future of triathlon journalism.

100+ new articles/month

You’ll also gain access to our other premium websites:

Have an account? Sign in

All plans include a 7-day free trial

£47.95/year
£95.40/year

50% Discount

100+ new articles/month

Unlimited access. No ads. A whole library of tips, advice and inspiration at your finger tips, and the chance to shape the future of triathlon journalism.

You’ll also gain access to our other premium websites:

Have an account? Sign in

Share to...