Giorgio Calcaterra at the 26th IAU World Championships (© Jan Vandendriessche)
Giorgio Calcaterra (ITA) and Amy Sproston (USA) won the men’s and women’s titles at the 26th IAU World Championships on 22 April in Seregno, a city in the northern part of Italy, about 30 minutes, from Milan. In addition to the World titles, these championships also served, as the European Championships.
220 athletes participated from 36 countries. The latter was a new record for major IAU World Championships. The increase in numbers in recent years is a fair indication of the growing popularity of the sport. The race was organised on a 20km loop through Seregno and the outskirts of the city.
The men’s division was won by pre-race favourite and returning champion Giorgio Calcaterra (ITA). He ran 6:23:20 to take home the gold and was followed in by the former two-time European champion, Jonas Buud (SWE) who finished in 6:28:57. Calcaterra’s teammate Alberico Di Cecco (ITA) finished in third with a time of 6:40:30.
Calcaterra ran a very strong race in a close pack with Di Cecco and Asier Ettcheto Cuevas (ESP) for the first two loops. After completion of about forty kilometres, Calcaterra made a strong move creating a gap between him and the other two front runners to take the lead. Calcaterra increased his advantage as the kilometres went by and finished strongly.
Buud, on the other hand, ran a very conservative race. He started further down in the field but as the race worn on, Buud moved up the field, finishing second to replicate his performance from the World Championships in 2010. Di Cecco had a very consistent race running in third most of the way.
This race also doubled as the European Championships with the top three the same in that division too.
In the women’s race, Amy Sproston (USA) won the gold medal in a time of 7:34:08. Kaisa Berg (SWE) finished in silver in 7:35:23. Irina Vishnevskaya (RUS) finished third with a time of 7:36:01.
Sproston in her second World championships ran a very strong race coming from a top 10 placing earlier on in the race to move up the field.
Berg in her first world championship ran consistently throughout the event. Being a relative newcomer to the sport, she was a model of consistence and patience, as the race wore on. Vishnevskaya, in finishing third, has become one of the steadiest performers in the 100km world championships. She has had several podium finishes at the international level.
In the European Championships division, Berg took the gold, followed by Vishnevskaya in silver and Judit Nagy Foldingne in bronze.
In the World team competition, Italy won the men’s title followed by the USA and France who took silver and bronze, respectively. In the European championships, Italy took gold while France took silver and Germany the bronze medal.
The USA took home the gold in the women’s World Championship. Japan took silver and Russia took home the bronze. In the European Championship, Russia took the gold with Italy and Germany taking silver and bronze, respectively.
This race also had a Masters component alongside the main event. The masters section was done in collaboration with the World Masters Athletics. Medals were awarded in 5-year age groups.
Nadeem Khan for the IAAF
Results 100km World & European Championship 2012 Seregno (April 22, 2012)
Men:
Gold --- Giorgio Calcaterra ITA 6:23:20 (1st European Championship)
Silver --- Jonas Buud SWE 6:28:57 (2nd European Championship)
Bronze --- Alberico Di Cecco ITA 6:40:30 (3rd European Championship)
4th Place --- Asier Ettcheto Cuevas ESP 6:44:54
5th Place --- David Riddle USA 6:45:19
Women:
Gold --- Amy Sproston USA 7:34:08
Silver --- Kajsa Berg SWE 7:35:23 (1st European Championship)
Bronze --- Irina Vishnevskaya RUS 7:36:01 (2nd European Championship)
4th Place --- Meghan Arbogast USA 7:41:52
5th Place --- Pam Smith USA 7:43:04
6th Place --- Judit Nagy Foldingne HUN 7:43:55 (3rd European Championship)
Team Competition Men:
Gold --- Italy 20:06:41 (1st European Championship)
Silver --- United States of America 20:23:09
Bronze --- France 20:58:44 (2nd European Championship)
4th Place --- Germany 21:17:50 (3rd European Championship)
5th Place --- Norway 21:22:35
Team Competition Women:
Gold --- United States of America 22:59:03
Silver --- Japan 23:44:02
Bronze --- Russia 24:02:28 (1st European Championship)
4th Place --- Italy 24:53:14 (2nd European Championship)
5th Place --- Germany 25:46:44 (3rd European Championship)
220 athletes participated from 36 countries. The latter was a new record for major IAU World Championships. The increase in numbers in recent years is a fair indication of the growing popularity of the sport. The race was organised on a 20km loop through Seregno and the outskirts of the city.
The men’s division was won by pre-race favourite and returning champion Giorgio Calcaterra (ITA). He ran 6:23:20 to take home the gold and was followed in by the former two-time European champion, Jonas Buud (SWE) who finished in 6:28:57. Calcaterra’s teammate Alberico Di Cecco (ITA) finished in third with a time of 6:40:30.
Calcaterra ran a very strong race in a close pack with Di Cecco and Asier Ettcheto Cuevas (ESP) for the first two loops. After completion of about forty kilometres, Calcaterra made a strong move creating a gap between him and the other two front runners to take the lead. Calcaterra increased his advantage as the kilometres went by and finished strongly.
Buud, on the other hand, ran a very conservative race. He started further down in the field but as the race worn on, Buud moved up the field, finishing second to replicate his performance from the World Championships in 2010. Di Cecco had a very consistent race running in third most of the way.
This race also doubled as the European Championships with the top three the same in that division too.
In the women’s race, Amy Sproston (USA) won the gold medal in a time of 7:34:08. Kaisa Berg (SWE) finished in silver in 7:35:23. Irina Vishnevskaya (RUS) finished third with a time of 7:36:01.
Sproston in her second World championships ran a very strong race coming from a top 10 placing earlier on in the race to move up the field.
Berg in her first world championship ran consistently throughout the event. Being a relative newcomer to the sport, she was a model of consistence and patience, as the race wore on. Vishnevskaya, in finishing third, has become one of the steadiest performers in the 100km world championships. She has had several podium finishes at the international level.
In the European Championships division, Berg took the gold, followed by Vishnevskaya in silver and Judit Nagy Foldingne in bronze.
In the World team competition, Italy won the men’s title followed by the USA and France who took silver and bronze, respectively. In the European championships, Italy took gold while France took silver and Germany the bronze medal.
The USA took home the gold in the women’s World Championship. Japan took silver and Russia took home the bronze. In the European Championship, Russia took the gold with Italy and Germany taking silver and bronze, respectively.
This race also had a Masters component alongside the main event. The masters section was done in collaboration with the World Masters Athletics. Medals were awarded in 5-year age groups.
Nadeem Khan for the IAAF
Results 100km World & European Championship 2012 Seregno (April 22, 2012)
Men:
Gold --- Giorgio Calcaterra ITA 6:23:20 (1st European Championship)
Silver --- Jonas Buud SWE 6:28:57 (2nd European Championship)
Bronze --- Alberico Di Cecco ITA 6:40:30 (3rd European Championship)
4th Place --- Asier Ettcheto Cuevas ESP 6:44:54
5th Place --- David Riddle USA 6:45:19
Women:
Gold --- Amy Sproston USA 7:34:08
Silver --- Kajsa Berg SWE 7:35:23 (1st European Championship)
Bronze --- Irina Vishnevskaya RUS 7:36:01 (2nd European Championship)
4th Place --- Meghan Arbogast USA 7:41:52
5th Place --- Pam Smith USA 7:43:04
6th Place --- Judit Nagy Foldingne HUN 7:43:55 (3rd European Championship)
Team Competition Men:
Gold --- Italy 20:06:41 (1st European Championship)
Silver --- United States of America 20:23:09
Bronze --- France 20:58:44 (2nd European Championship)
4th Place --- Germany 21:17:50 (3rd European Championship)
5th Place --- Norway 21:22:35
Team Competition Women:
Gold --- United States of America 22:59:03
Silver --- Japan 23:44:02
Bronze --- Russia 24:02:28 (1st European Championship)
4th Place --- Italy 24:53:14 (2nd European Championship)
5th Place --- Germany 25:46:44 (3rd European Championship)