2010 European Cross Country Championships

Competition

Preparation

The race took place on a purpose-built course near the city, which also hosts the annual Almond Blossom Cross Country. Albufeira was chosen as the host at the 120th European Athletics Council Meeting in October 2008, defeating a rival bid from Velenje (which was chosen for the 2011 edition instead).

Hayley Yelling entered the race as the defending women's champion while Alemayehu Bezabeh, the reigning men's champion, did not take part in the competition. High-profile investigations into doping in Spain immediately preceded the championships and Bezabeh was among the athletes implicated in Operación Galgo. As both the reigning champion and the 2009 silver medallist Mo Farah were absent, the men's race was seen as a relatively open competition, with Ukrainian Serhiy Lebid, Spanish runners Ayad Lamdassem and Jesús España being the foremost protagonists. The withdrawal of Rosa Morató (runner-up in 2009) left Jessica Augusto as the provisional favourite for the women's race. Forming a strong team, three other Portuguese runners (Ana Dulce Félix, Marisa Barros and Sara Moreira) were expected to challenge for medals, as were Yelling and Adriënne Herzog (also directly implicated in Operación Galgo), who was third the previous year.

Races

The men's race remained relatively tight until the final lap. Six men were on equal footing at the bell: Lebid, Lamdassem, French duo Morhad Amdouni and Abdellatif Meftah, and Rui Pedro Silva and Yousef El Kalai, both representing the hosts. Lamdassem was the first to move away from the pack, seizing the lead, and only Lebid followed. The Ukrainian overhauled Lamdassem in the final stages and maintained a clear lead to win his ninth title – a record for the competition. Lamdassem just held off a late sprint from El Kalai to take the runner-up spot. Meftah and Amdouni finished shortly after for fourth and fifth, leading the French men to a team victory.

Jessica Augusto made her gold medal intentions known as she took the lead in the opening stages. The Portuguese athlete never relinquished the position and produced a largely unrivalled, solo performance. Spaniard Alessandra Aguilar shadowed her in the middle part of the race but later dropped out of contention. With Augusto clear in front, Binnaz Uslu, Ana Dulce Félix, Fionnuala Britton and Tetyana Holovchenko battled for the minor medals in the second half of the race. Félix and Uslu fought for the runner-up spot with the Turk eventually winning out. Augusto's lead was so significant that she slowed and celebrated throughout the home straight, still crossing the line with a five-second advantage. Félix took the bronze just ahead Britton, helping the Portuguese women to the team gold medal, and Holovchenko rounded out the top five.

Hassan Chahdi of France took the men's under-23 title while Ethiopian-born Meryem Erdoğan won the women's under-23 section for Turkey. The junior races were won by Abdelaziz Merzougui and Charlotte Purdue.

Race results

Senior men

• Totals: 75 entrants, 74 starters, 71 finishers, 10 teams.

Senior women

• Totals: 49 entrants, 49 starters, 47 finishers, 7 teams.

Under-23 men

• Totals: 102 entrants, 102 starters, 96 finishers, 16 teams.

Under-23 women

• Totals: 65 entrants, 64 starters, 61 finishers, 8 teams.

Junior men

• Totals: 104 entrants, 104 starters, 99 finishers, 17 teams.

Junior women

• Totals: 76 entrants, 75 starters, 74 finishers, 11 teams.

Total medal table

• Note: Totals include both individual and team medals, with medals in the team competition counting as one medal.

References

References

1. [http://www.european-athletics.org/17th-spar-european-cross-country-championships/records-set-in-albufeira.html Records set in Albufeira] {{webarchive. link. (19 December 2010 . [[European Athletics]] (13 December 2010). Retrieved 14 December 2010.)
2. [http://www.european-athletics.org/press-releases/albufeira-por-a-velenje-slo-to-host-the-spar-european-cross-country-championships-in-2010-a-2011.html Albufeira (POR) & Velenje (SLO) to host the SPAR European Cross Country Championships in 2010 & 2011 ] {{Webarchive. link. (2 August 2011 . [[European Athletics]] (4 October 2008). Retrieved 12 December 2010.)
3. Minshull, Phil (10 December 2010). [http://www.iaaf.org/news/kind=100/newsid=58890.html Lebid and Yelling-Higham looking for old gold at European XC Champs – PREVIEW]. [[IAAF]]. Retrieved 10 December 2010.
4. [http://www.elpais.com/articulo/deportes/Guardia/Civil/interroga/Nuria/Fernandez/Reyes/Estevez/elpepudep/20101210elpepudep_6/Tes La Guardia Civil interroga a Nuria Fernández y Reyes Estévez]. ''[[El País]]'' (10 December 2010). Retrieved 11 December 2010.
5. (September 2018)
6. (September 2018)
7. [http://www.european-athletics.org/17th-spar-european-cross-country-championships/spains-morato-out-of-spar-european-cross-country-championships.html Spain’s Morató out of SPAR European Cross Country Championships] {{Webarchive. link. (19 December 2010 . [[European Athletics]] (8 December 2010). Retrieved 12 December 2010.)
8. Minshull, Phil (10 December 2010). [http://www.iaaf.org/news/kind=100/newsid=58890.html Lebid and Yelling-Higham looking for old gold at European XC Champs – PREVIEW]. [[IAAF]]. Retrieved 12 December 2010.
9. Minshull, Phil (12 December 2010). [http://www.iaaf.org/WXC11/news/kind=100/newsid=58900.html Lebid collects ninth title while Augusto thrills the locals in Albufeira – European XC Champs]. IAAF. Retrieved 12 December 2010.
10. [http://www.european-athletics.org/17th-spar-european-cross-country-championships/senior-mens-final-lebid-leaves-it-late-but-triumphs-again.html SENIOR MEN'S FINAL: Lebid leaves it late but triumphs again] {{webarchive. link. (15 January 2011 . European Athletics (12 December 2010). Retrieved 12 December 2010.)
11. [http://www.european-athletics.org/17th-spar-european-cross-country-championships/portugals-augusto-dominates-to-take-gold.html SENIOR WOMEN'S FINAL: Portugal’s Augusto dominates to take gold] {{webarchive. link. (15 December 2010 . European Athletics (12 December 2010). Retrieved 12 December 2010.)
12. [http://www.european-athletics.org/17th-spar-european-cross-country-championships/under-23-mens-final-chahdi-and-carvalho-make-the-predictions-come-true.html UNDER 23 MEN'S FINAL: Chahdi and Carvalho make the predictions come true] {{Webarchive. link. (15 December 2010 . European Athletics (12 December 2010). Retrieved 12 December 2010.)
13. [http://www.european-athletics.org/17th-spar-european-cross-country-championships/under-23-womens-final-turkeys-erdogan-fulfils-her-role-as-favourite.html UNDER 23 WOMEN'S FINAL: Turkey’s Erdogan fulfils her role as favourite] {{webarchive. link. (15 December 2010 . European Athletics (12 December 2010). Retrieved 12 December 2010.)
14. [http://www.european-athletics.org/17th-spar-european-cross-country-championships/junior-mens-final-merzougui-ends-spains-12-year-medal-drought.html JUNIOR MEN'S FINAL: Merzougui ends Spain’s 12-year medal drought] {{Webarchive. link. (15 December 2010 . European Athletics (12 December 2010). Retrieved 12 December 2010.)
15. [http://www.european-athletics.org/17th-spar-european-cross-country-championships/junior-womens-report-purdue-finally-makes-it-to-the-top-of-the-podium.html JUNIOR WOMEN'S FINAL: Purdue finally makes it to the top of the podium] {{webarchive. link. (17 January 2011 . European Athletics (12 December 2010). Retrieved 12 December 2010.)
16. [http://www.sportresult.com/sports/la/ajax/user_files/2010/albufeira/pdf/re0320040.pdf Senior Men – Results] {{Webarchive. link. (16 June 2012 . [[European Athletics]] (12 December 2010). Retrieved 12 December 2010.)
17. [http://www.sportresult.com/sports/la/ajax/user_files/2010/albufeira/pdf/re1310040.pdf Senior Women – Results] {{Webarchive. link. (16 July 2011 . [[European Athletics]] (12 December 2010). Retrieved 12 December 2010.)
18. [http://www.sportresult.com/sports/la/ajax/user_files/2010/albufeira/pdf/re6320040.pdf Under-23 Men – Results] {{Webarchive. link. (16 June 2012 . [[European Athletics]] (12 December 2010). Retrieved 12 December 2010.)
19. [http://www.sportresult.com/sports/la/ajax/user_files/2010/albufeira/pdf/re7310040.pdf Under-23 Women – Results] {{Webarchive. link. (16 June 2012 . [[European Athletics]] (12 December 2010). Retrieved 12 December 2010.)
20. [http://www.sportresult.com/sports/la/ajax/user_files/2010/albufeira/pdf/re8320040.pdf Junior Men – Results] {{Webarchive. link. (16 June 2012 . [[European Athletics]] (12 December 2010). Retrieved 12 December 2010.)
21. [http://www.sportresult.com/sports/la/ajax/user_files/2010/albufeira/pdf/re9310040.pdf Junior Women – Results] {{Webarchive. link. (16 June 2012 . [[European Athletics]] (12 December 2010). Retrieved 12 December 2010.)