The student-athletes from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland won the Country Challenge at the 2022 FISU World University Championship Cross Country held in Aveiro, Portugal. Ugandan and French runners also shined.
In rainy and windy conditions, Isobel Fry (gold) and Saskia Millard (silver) clinched Great Britain’s first medals, as they dominated the women’s individual competition from start to finish. Not surprisingly, Great Britain also earned gold in the team classification.
“I was expecting sun here but the conditions were similar to those at home. It was my first time in a world championship so the gold medal will for sure remain a great memory,” said Isobel Fry (picture above).
The men’s individual competition was a Ugandan affair, although Dirk Georger (Germany) remained in front for most of the race. But at the end Dismus Yeko (picture on the left) was too strong. His teammate Brian Wangwe completed the podium.
Boosted by a fantastic Benoît Campion, France won the mixed relay race. Campion, Alexa Lemitre, Bérénice Fulchiron and Quentin Malriq were only briefly challenged by Great Britain. The Spanish team finished third.
Great Britain received the Country Challenge’s trophy, which aggregates the best two results of the individual competitions and the mixed relay.
All the results at a glance:
10km Women’s race: 1. Isobel Fry (GBR) 31:52 ; 2. Saskia Millard (GBR) +0:09 3. Yayla Gunen (TUR) +0:22
Team classification: 1. Great Britain ; 2. Germany ; 3. Spain
10km Men’s race: 1. Dismus Yeko (UGA) 28:00 ; 2. Dirk Markus Georger (GER) +0:07 ; 3. Brian Wangwe (UGA) +0:12
Team Classification: 1. Morocco ; 2. Uganda ; 3. Germany
12km Mixed Relay: 1. France (Lemitre, Campion, Fulchiron, Malriq) 35:02 ; 2. Great Britain (Millard, Potter, Sinha, Davies) +0:21 ; 3. Spain (Azpiazu, P. Sanchez, Lahoz, A. Sanchez) +0:27
Country Challenge: Great Britain
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