Athletics, Battocletti triumphs at European Championships in Antalya: team gold for Italy

Nadia Battocletti has won the gold medal at the European Cross Championships currently underway in Antalya (Turkey). The Italian, Olympic silver medallist in Paris and double European gold medallist in Rome, is the first woman ever to triumph in the three categories (U20, U23 and overall) in cross-country at the continental championships.

It's a blue party at the European Cross Championships in Antalya, with Nadia Battocletti, Yeman Crippa and the entire team in the various categories. The Italian women's team also won the gold medal for the first time in history, but on the first step of the podium also went the Italian mixed relay. Crippa's silver medal in the men's race, beaten only by the great favourite, the Norwegian, Jakob Ingebrigtsen, is also worth mentioning, as is the bronze medal won by Italy's girls in the women's U20 event. Highlighting the results of the Italian expedition to Turkey, which confirm the great moment of Italian athletics, is Battocletti herself, after a race that she controlled rather than dominated as usual, but won calmly ahead of Germany's Konstanze Klosterhalfen, silver medallist, and Turkey's Yasemin Can, bronze medallist.

"The word for 2024 is inspiration. For today I took it from the great Andrea Lalli, who had been the only one to complete the hat-trick so far and I am happy to have done so too," said the Italian remembering the middle-distance runner. "I am also very happy to have won a team gold medal which is historic: this national team did really well, there are very good young people and the results always have a positive impact on the whole movement." Battocletti won in 25'43'' over the 7.834 kilometres but Italy was also able to win the team gold thanks to the decisive placings of Elisa Palmero, 13th, and Ludovica Cavalli, 19th.