Another great battle of champions - Italy wins the European Skyrunning Championship followed by Spain and Great Britain.
At the third European Skyrunning Championship in Italy’s fabulous Dolomites, Sunday, July 19, Italy clinched a full set of medals, followed closely by Spain and Great Britain ahead of Andorra and Switzerland.
Medals for individual, combined and team titles were at stake in the Championship held in Canazei, a favourite skyrunning location: the Vertical Kilometer® on Friday, July 17, and the Dolomites SkyRace® on Sunday, July 19, a grueling 22 km race up and down the spectacular Biz Boè.
Spaniards Agustí Roc and Raul Garcia took a gold medal in each race, while Antonella Confortola, last year’s winner on both courses, repeated her performance and brought home a gold in the combined title.
Roc was first in Friday’s Vertical Kilometer® followed by Italian Manfred Reichegger hot on his heels and Jessed Hernandez, also on the Spanish Team.
Confortola didn’t disappoint, while Britain’s Angela Mudge and Spain’s Monica Ardid took second and third places respectively.
The break on Saturday was not uneventful, with a heavy snowfall preparing a challenging course for Sunday’s SkyRace.
However, cold, snow and ice didn’t deter the 650 athletes at the start. The course was slightly modified for safety purposes, circumnavigating the Piz Boè at 2,907m altitude.
Italian Dennis Brunod led the race and was the first to transit at the summit, followed by Hernandez. Garcia overtook him on the hair-raising descent over slippery loose rock and crossed the finish line to win in 1h57’17”, followed by Brunod and a relative newcomer, Italy’s Giovanni Tacchini, third.
Antonella Confortola comfortably led the women’s category, closing in 2h25’17”,
with Spain’s Monica Ardid, second and Italy’s Giulia Miori, third.
The combined titles went to Raul Garcia and Antonella Confortola while the national team title, based on the best women’s position and the first three men, went to the Italian Team, followed by Spain and Great Britain.
This successful third Skyrunning European Championship, the first time, ISF member nations compete, marks another important step in skyrunning history.
Again in Italy, the fifth stage of the Skyrunner® World Series will take place next Sunday in Premana, Lecco, where the world’s top skyrunners will compete, including current ranking leaders Ricardo Mejia from Mexico and Italy’s Emanuela Brizio.
National results
Italy - 666
Spain - 642
Great Britain - 482
Andorra - 290
Switzerland - 122
Medals
Italy - 3 gold / 3 silver / 3 bronze
Spain - 3 gold / 2 silver / 3 bronze
Great Britain - 1 silver / 1 bronze
Combined European Champion Titles
Raul Garcia (SPA) and Antonella Confortola (ITA)