Nopesport

After the eventful week of the Junior World Championships and World Masters, it’s now time to look forward to one of the biggest senior international competitions of the year – the European Championships (although it is not exclusively for Europeans, as there are runners competing from Australia, USA and Japan for World Cup points). The first race of the competition was the classic qualification, and Team GB started off well with 2 heat winners in Heather Monro and World Champion Jamie Stevenson™. In the women Sweden were the dominant force, with all 6 of their runners finishing in the top 7, whilst in the men it was the Finns showing some decent early form with only 2 of their runners outside the top 4. The top 17 in each heat qualify for the classic final, to be held on Friday.

Results

Women Heat 1 7.1km
1. Emma Engstrand SWE 45.46
2. Mina Kauppi FIN 46.28
3. Karolina A. Hojsgaard SWE 47.03
15. Helen Winskill GBR 52.44
23. Jo Stevenson GBR 58.31

Women Heat 2 7.1km
1. Simone Niggli-Luder SUI 45.34
2. Lina Backstrom SWE 47.42
3. Gunilla Svard SWE 48.08
16. Claire Ward GBR 52.26
21. Sarah Rollins GBR 55.13

Women Heat 3 7.1km
1. Heather Monro GBR 46.54
2. Heli Jukkola FIN 47.52
3. Jenny Johansson SWE 49.25
28. Hannah Wootton GBR 62.09

Men Heat 1 11.5km
1. Jamie Stevenson GBR 60.44
2. Jani Lakanen FIN 62.36
3. Edgaris Voveris LTU 63.06
30. Nicholas Morgan GBR 74.38

Men Heat 2 11.5km
1. Mats Haldin FIN 62.00
2. Michael Horacek CZE 62.04
3. Felix Bentz SUI 62.48
9. Daniel Marston GBR 65.23
20. Stephen Palmer GBR 68.18

Men Heat 3 11.5km
1. Thierry Gueorgiou FRA 60.40
2. Pasi Ikonen FIN 61.52
3. Tom Quayle AUS 62.41
21. Jon Duncan GBR 69.43
22. Nick Barrable GBR 69.57

Follow the team here

And a final quote from the EOC website:

"Besides this the most remakable result was set by Jamie Stevenson (GBR). In heat A he was unbeatable and won the 11.5 km course 1:52 minutes ahead of Jani Lakanen (FIN)."