Sporting Clube de Portugal revalidated the title of European Women's Cross Country Champion, in the 56th European Champion Clubs' Cup, which took place at the weekend, in Albufeira. The athletics track of Açoteias hosted this competition, as well as the Crosse Internacional das Amendoeiras em Flor, where Portuguese athletes and clubs stood out.
The Kenyan Fancy Cherono, from Sporting, won the women's senior competition and shared the podium with the Turkish Jeptoo Kimeli and the Spanish Trihas Gebre. In addition to the winner, Sporting players Sara Ribeiro (5th), Sara Moreira (6th), Jéssica Augusto (13th), Inês Monteiro (20th) and Carla Rocha (28th) also scored, which allowed their club to become European champion.
In the men's senior competition, a Kenyan athlete from Sporting also stood out, in this case Davis Kiplangat, who was second in the competition, behind Italian Jacob Kimplimo and ahead of Swede Robel Fsiha. In addition to Kiplangat, Licínio Pereira (15th), Rui Teixeira (25th) and Miguel Marques (27th) also collected points and helped the Lions to secure third place, by teams, behind Athletics Bikila, from Spain, and the Italians Casone Nocetna .
In juniors, it was Sport Lisboa e Benfica's men's team that stood out, by becoming European runner-up in teams. A result to which the Benfica player Edward Pingua, who was the first to cross the line, contributed a lot.
This was the 11th time that Pista das Açoteias hosted the European Clubs Cup in Corta Mato (1984, 1985, 1986, 1989, 1990, 1993, 1995, 2008, 2014, 2017 and 2019).
The mayor of Albufeira José Carlos Rolo highlighted the importance of the competition for the council, taking into account that athletes from 21 nationalities were present and it was broadcast throughout the world, through the media.
«Albufeira is a destination with excellent conditions for the practice of athletics, namely the climate, the equipment, the hotels and also the tradition rooted here in terms of the sport»», highlighted José Carlos Rolo.
The Crosse das Amendoeiras em Flor is an event organized by the Algarve Athletics Association and has the support of the Municipality of Albufeira, Algarve Tourism Region and IPDJ – Portuguese Institute of Sport and Youth, whose representatives were present at the event. Carlos Lopes, winner of the first edition of the Crosse Internacional das Amendoeiras em Flor, was also on the stands.
In addition to this competition and the international competition, the 17th Corta Mato das Areias de São João also took place last weekend, a regional competition, as well as the 29th Corta Mato do Sport Adaptado, which was attended by a hundred athletes.
On Friday, the 8th of February, from 10:00 am, around 1200 students from all over the Algarve will once again fill the Pista das Açoteias in Corta Mato Regional do Desporto Escolar. In this competition will be selected students and schools, beginners and young people, of both sexes, who will represent the Regional Directorate of Education of the Algarve in Corta Mato Nacional.
Photos: Albufeira Town Hall
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