13th WORLD UNIVERSITY CROSS-COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIP
Santiago de Compostela, Spain - April 7th, 2002
Heavy rain on Friday April 5th and partly on Saturday April 6th threatened to spoil the two years of hard work and commitment of the Organizing Committee of the 13th World University Cross-Country Championship. But St. Peter had some understanding with the organizers and finally on Sunday April 7th the sun shone on another pearl in the long chain of traditionally successful and well-organized World University Cross-Country Championships.
Arduous Work
The Local Organizing Committee headed by Mariano Garcia-Verdugo and supported by the University of Santiago de Compostela had prepared excellently for the 13th edition of the World University Cross-Country Championship. Normally, Monte do Gozo is the last stop for pilgrims who come from all over the World over the holy St. Jacobs path before their arduous journey ends in Santiago de Compostela, the famous pilgrimage site in Galicia, Spain. For 138 cross-country runners from 23 countries Monte do Gozo’s residential area with all the necessary services (post office, laundry, shops and administration) provided excellent conditions before the athletes went on to their pilgrimage over the very demanding cross-country course which was set out in the fields adjacent to the residential area.
Demanding Course
The two races were held on a very demanding but fair course, mainly over grassland. Undulating hills forced the athletes to continuously change their rhythm and the wet and muddy grassland took its toll on them. The spectators could see almost the entire course, which is destined to become a permanent one, and the crowd could watch closely the development of the races.
Women's Individual Race
In the women’s race a small group of four led almost from the start and already after one kilometer Anna Thompson (AUS), Denisa Contescu (ROM), Rene Kalmer (RSA) and Ines Monteiro (POR) had a lead of some 20 meters. Denisa Contescu, in her third appearance (29th in 1998, runner-up in 2000), constantly kept the pace high and the rest of the field was left without a chance to close in. Eventually Anna Thompson and Ines Monteiro also had to give way. Finally Contescu resisted the last attack of Rene Kalmer and won by 2 seconds. Monteiro secured the third place.
Women's Team Competition
The team competition was a very close affair. Spain had three athletes in the first ten but their 25 points were not good enough against the 23 points collected by the team of RSA whose runners were in second, fifth and sixteenth place and successfully defended their title. ROM obtained the third place (29 points).
Men's Individual Race
The men’s race saw constantly changing leaders. Many runners put their nose into the wind and tried to break away early. But no one could ever gain more than ten meters and the field always caught them only moments later. In the leading group the defending champion Günter Weidlinger (AUS) showed a remarkable comeback in his first international appearance after his severe injury last summer. A compact group of some 15 runners was still together after the first 3 laps when an attack by Abdellah Bay (MAR) tore the field apart. Gradually the lead group came down to six with two Moroccans ( Bay and Driouche), two Spaniards ( Sanchez and Capitan), Weidlinger and Moilwagothle (RSA). Occasionally Mark Miles (GBR) could close in but never managed to really stay in the group. With 800 meters to go the group was down to Bay, Moilwagothle, Driouche and Weidlinger when the two Moroccans accelerated once more and broke away. Weidlinger followed but had to acknowledge the strength of his opponents who battled it out on the last 200 meters and enjoyed a one two victory thus taking revenge for the defeat two years ago when Weidlinger won over four Moroccans with his sprint over the last 400 meters. Driouche was second again.
Men's Team Competition
Spain took the team title thanks to its balanced runners who took 4th, 6th, 10th and 12th place, which gave them 32 points ahead of Morocco 41 points (1st, 2nd, 13th and 25th) and Great Britain whose runners secured the 3rd place for the country with its great cross-country tradition.
RESULTS
Men
Gold - BAY, Abdellah Silver - DRIOUCH, Aziz Bronze - WEIDLINGER, Günther
Men's Team
Gold - Spain Silver - Morroco Bronze - Great Britain
Women
Gold - COTESCU, Denisa Silver - KALMER, Réné Bronze - MONTEIRO, Ines
Women's Team
Gold - South Africa Silver - Spain Bronze - Romania
GENERAL CONCLUSION
'The 13th World University Cross-Country Championships, for the second time in its history hosted by Spain, another country with a great cross country tradition, was without any doubt a success', said Till Lufft, the FISU Technical Delegate for Cross-Country. 'The athletes enjoyed a high level of competition, a first rate course and facilities and an event organized to the high standards normally associated with FISU Championships. The memories that will stay with all those who attended the event in Santiago are those of efficiency and warm hospitality.' The FISU Technical Delegate was full of praise for the OC. 'Many people were involved with the organization of these championships, but there is little doubt that the energy and enthusiasm of Mariano Gracia Verdugo, the father of this event, who had assembled a highly competent and committed team, was the overriding factor that brought success. Many different team members (from AUS, AUT, GER, ITA, and SUI) spontaneously expressed great satisfaction with the organization.'
WEBSITE
The complete results can be downloaded from the website of the Organizing Committee at http://www.usc.es/crossuni.
