Newsletter Toro 2007

Newsletter Toro 2007 Official bulletin of the 14th SPAR European Cross Country Championships # 5 - 17th DECEMBER 2007 SUMMARY CONTENTS PUBLISHED BY COORDINATION Toro, a cross country’s party .......pág. 1 Organising Committee Marco Alonso A brilliant morning....................pág. 2 Toro 2007 Ignacio Mansilla More than 165 media... ............pág. 3 The protagonists speak ...........pag. 4 Toro,Toro, thethe EuropeanEuropean crosscross countrycountry running’srunning’s partyparty Last 9 December Toro’s Mon- included a parade of the flags of mony the six races were dispu- the morning was the vitory of the te La Reina Course hosted the all participant countries, para- ted starting with the junior local heroin Marta Domínguez, European cross country runnin- chuting jumping and the words women’s one with the second in who added the European cross g’s party with the celebration of of the sports and local authori- a row triumph of British Stepha- country running title to the ones the 14th SPAR European Cross ties. nie Twell. But without any doubt conquered both indoors and out- Country Championships, that Following this opening cere- the most memorable moment of doors. was held for the first time in Spain. After the final confirma- tion there were 423 athletes from 30 countries the ones who took part in the six races of the official programme: junior, U23 and senior, both men and women. Near 10.000 spectators coming from all Zamora’s province and other points of Spain, even more from other European countries arrived on Sunday to Monte La Reina to enjoy with this important competition, which started at 09:30 hours with the opening ceremony that The start of the U23 women’s race past 9 December in Monte La Reina Course. 1 A brilliant morning of cross country running The near 10.000 athletic fans In brief who came around to Toro’s Mon- te La Reina Course past 9th During the weekend December hardly could forget an and in addition to the pure historical day both for Zamora’s competition it was displa- province and for Spanish cross yed an intensive social acti- country running. The outstanding vity. In this sense, last 8th moments of the morning were the December at night the offi- victories of Marta Domínguez cial dinner of European Ath- and Ukrainian Sergiy Lebid but in letics and LOC was cele- addition it was amazing to watch brated in Saint Agustin the junior and U23 races in which Church in Toro. European athletics family had the we could see into action some of opportunity of conversing the athletes who will relay the animously in this magnifi- current starts of European long cent scenary. After desserts distance runners in the near futu- Hansjörg Wirz, European re. The first to compete were the Athletics president, José junior women with the British Ste- María Odriozola, RFEA pre- phanie Twell as the main prota- sident and Jesús Andrés gonist. She showed her superio- Sedano, Toro major toasted rity, running with inteligence to for the success of the leave back her rivals in the last Championships. metres and to retain her title obtained last year in San Giorgio After finishing the su Legnano. She preceeded in competition on Sunday night Sergiy Lebid jumps an obstacle in front of the the finish lane Pole Danuta Urba- senior men’s race. all the participants in addi- nik and British Charlotte Purdue. the dominance was for Romanian seventh European title, beating tion to other colectives invol- Twell will continue in the junior Ancuta Bobocel, ahead from Sweden Mustafa Mohamed and ved in the organisation of category next year, so she will Dutch Adriënne Herzog and Pole Portuguese Rui Silva. Spain was the Championships had the have the opportunity of adding a opportunity of relaxing and Katarzyna Kowalska, while in the also the clear winner by teams third crown in Oostende, some enjoying the final banquet men’s one Turk Kemal Koyuncu preceeding Portugal and France. unprecedented in the history of celebrated in “El Convento” surprised experience Russian the Europeans. In the teams Hotel in the Zamora’s village Yevgeniy Rybakov and British competition, Great Britain was of Coreses. After the dinner Andy Vernon. By teams, the the winner ahead from Russia party continued in the anne- triumph was clear for Great Bri- and Ukraine. xed discotheque in which tain in both categories. While in the women’s event the everybody could depart in a And then we arrive to the most British were the dominators, in the comfortable ambient while outstanding moment of the mor- men’s one French athletes took watching the video of the ning with the participation of the the iniative with the triumph of races. local heroin, Marta Domínguez, Mourad Amdou- who showed one more time her ni, ahead from competitive knowledge to add the his mate Florian European cross country title to Carvalho and the ones she have both indoors Ukrainian and outdoors. Marta crossed the Dmytro Lashin. finish lane in winner preceeding France was the French Julie Coulard and also clear winner in Spanish Rosa Morató. Spain was the team’s com- the clear winner by teams beating petition precee- Great Britain and Portugal. ding Great Bri- If Domínguez victory was britain and Ger- lliant not less was the one obtai- many. ned by Ukrainian Sergiy Lebid in Regarding the Dinner in Toro’s San Agustín the last race of the official pro- Church. U23 races, in the women’s one gramme. Lebid obtained his Marta Domínguez, winner. 2 More than 165 media representatives in Toro his SPAR European where a press conference with Cross Country Cham- the two senior winners, Sergiy Tpionships Toro 2007 Lebid and Marta Domínguez, Cross Country Championships was celebrated. showed a great expectation Media representatives came among the European media from different European coun- and prove of it was the high tries and even from the United number of media representati- States or Asia. Obviously Spain ves who requested for accre- was the country that counted ditation to cover the competi- with more journalists in Toro tion. To be precise there were with more than 110 persons more than 165 media repre- but we have to underline the sentatives accredited, inclu- interest of these Champion- ding 65 written press, 28 pho- ships in other countries like Ire- tographers, 22 radio and TV land which counted with 12 representatives and 50 TVE persons. We have to remind professionals who were be in that Dublin will be the venue of charge of broadcasting the 2009 edition of the SPAR Euro- event. pean Cross Country Cham- During the competition’s day pionships. We have to remark both the Press Tribune and the also the high number of profes- Monte La Reina course Press Tribune was one of the areas with a Mixed Zone, the meeting point sionals proceeding from Fran- most intensive activity last 9th December in the Europeans held in among the athletes and media, ce (8) and Great Britain (7) Toro. showed an intensive activity who travelled to Toro. will broadcast the Champions- cross country running fans in that was increased during the In addition to TVE, that bro- hips on live in addition to other Europe can follow all which senior races. After the last race adcasted the event on live by six that will broadcast delayed. happened in Toro last 9th journalists moved to Monte La its channels “La2” and “Telede- So we can affirm that all the December. Reina Course Media Centre porte”, six European channels European Athletics-LOC official press conference Last 8th December European Athletics- LOC official press conference was celebrated in the European Athletics Club in Monte La Reina Course. It counted with the participation of Hansjörg Wirz, Euro- pean Athletics president, José María Odriozola, RFEA and Organising Com- mittee president, and Jesús Andrés Sedano, Toro major. Just after it was the turn of the athletes, with the participation of Spanish Marta Domínguez and British Stephanie Twell, that the following day conquered the senior and junior titles and José Manuel Martínez, first Spanish in the senior men’s race with the fifth place in the finish lane. 3 TORO 2007: The protagonists speak ore than five hours of competition in Monte La Reina course offered a great emotion moments and crowned athletes like Sergiy Lebid, who obtained his seven European gold medal in cross country, Spanish Marta Domínguez, brilliant winner in the senior women’s race, Mor British junior Stephanie Twell who entered in history obtaining her second gold in this category. These are the words of some of the protagonists of the morning: Marta Domínguez (ESP), Sergiy Lebid (UKR), seven European champion in senior times European champion: women: "The victory hasn’t been as easy "It has been the perfect result: as it migth seem. I guess the race gold medal both individually and was rather strange for everybody, also by teams. My tactic was to as no one decided to increase the run tucked behind the leaders to pace. When the race eventually avoid the annoyance of the wind. sped up, I was ready for it. As for The favourites have pushed hard Mohamed Mustafa and the way and that effort has finally be nega- we ran the final 400m, I must say tive for them. that we know each other quite Definitely, I will not be contesting well, so the final stand was redu- neither the World Cross in Edin- ced to simple tactics. As usual, I burg nor the World indoors in prepared this competition in Kislo- Valencia. I’ll will focus on Beijing vodsk.

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